Monday, April 19, 2021

i don't think that anybody wants to increase consumption taxes on online purchases, do they?

i mean, if you're going to tell me i can get a 15% discount by walking to the store, i'll gladly go for a walk, instead.

while i understand that taxing businesses is sometimes going to result in higher prices for consumers (it depends. it's not this monolithic thing, like conservatives would have you believe.), these taxes should really be made hidden, so as to allow the companies for flexibility in pricing. otherwise, online retailers will be forced into an uncompetitive status quo where they can't compete with brick and mortar stores because there's an extra tax added on to the digital purchase. is that intended?

erecting the "trudeau tax" and creating a distinct line item for it is also a great way to lose an election. just ask brian mulroney.

i'd rather see broader increases in corporate taxes than focusing on tech companies, but they currently take up a lot of the market and it's a step in the right direction. this may be political rather than economic, but i'll take it.

i'm happy to see them move away from the unworkable idea of a "wealth tax", as well, as the reason people like warren promoted it is was to allow for an escape mechanism. concrete and easy to calculate proposals like increases in corporate, income and property taxes are good enough - we don't need these weird, esoteric ideas like wealth taxes.

but, they should seriously reconsider whether they think it's a good idea to have a line item for the tax anywhere. just tax them at the profits stage.