Dealing with the illegal

[JErin]

I know this is a touchy topic but how many of you have or have considered reporting any non tax paying photographers? I have a previous client who has begun her own business. We don’t live in the same location anymore so I would not consider it a competition thing but I see this person bringing in a lot of money and is nowhere near legal.

Do you report or not report?

[RalucaS]

How about….leave them be and don’t butt in? There a probably thousands of people doing the same…

[Al]

Not sure how I feel about this.  On the one hand, if everyone did this, many many fauxtogs would drop out and the world would be a better place. On the other, does it really matter?

Also, you’d be helping the photog in that area get rid of some competition.

Hmm.. still not sure what I’d do. If the person managed to piss me off somehow, damn right I would. 🙂

[jetpix]

“leave them be and don’t butt in”

They are committing an illegal activity, aren’t they?  By not paying taxes, when they should be, they are breaking the law.  By not paying taxes when they should be, that means everyone else’s taxes are just a little higher than they would otherwise be (especially if there are “thousands” doing the same).  If you saw someone robbing a store, would you say “leave them be and don’t butt in”?  They ARE robbing the store – your store, my store, everyone’s store.  Ism’t there a moral obligation to society, and the rest of your fellow taxpayers, to report them?  If you don’t think they should be reported, then I hope you never complain about how much you pay in taxes . . . . .

[lifeisamazing]

of course you should report someone not doing the right thing. however, you need to make sure you know for certain that they are not paying taxes on their sales because karma is a b!tch

[Al]

Yeah my first reaction was “they’re not paying taxes, nail ’em”.. but then I thought of the realities of it being that they, as fauxtogs, very very likely don’t even make enough to have taxes actually deducted from that “income”… that’s why I’m a bit ambivalent on the issue whereas I would normally be on the side of the “they’re breaking the law, nail ’em!”   Just not sure it actually applies here.

What I would do to all the fauxtogs in my areas is this: Send them an email as a potential client asking if they’re an active pro who’s taken lots of jobs.  If they say  yes and that they’ve done lots of jobs, I’d reply with something along the lines of “ok great, but just so we’re clear, you’re a legit business right, because I only want to support legit, tax-paying businesses. So if I sent your name/phone and email to the IRS right now, there wouldn’t be a problem with you not paying taxes right?”

I’d pay to see some reactions from that.  That’ll scare the living shit out of them if they don’t pay taxes heheh..

[dicksforeyes]

What a bunch of jack-boot licking scum you worthless fucks are.

[Al]

DFE… heh, it’s all one big game.. either play to win or don’t play mate.  If I’m out to protect my place in the hierarchy (no matter how low), you can be damn sure I’m going to cut out the legs of those around me.  It’s just the way I roll.  Like you, I could give a fuck if that makes me popular.  Don’t like it, go away, right?

But it’s good to know you’re the judge of worth.  I feel relieved.

 

[dicksforeyes]

That’s exactly what Stasi informants said. Don’t include me in your fascist rationalizations. There’s quite a difference between speech and physical violence. I would neither consider assaulting a competitor nor getting a thug in a funny costume to do it for me.

[Al]

Wow. When did this get physical dude?  You realize my “cut the legs out” was metaphorical, right?

But seriously, paying taxes is one of those few laws I actually fully support. Period.  If someone is going to call themselves a business, act like one…legally.  It’s quite simple really.  I’m pretty sure I learned when studying for my master’s degree in PoliSci, that’s not fascist.  But I’m sure you can spin it some other way. Though I’m sure the basis of my (and this threads whole point) is whether something should be made of someone charging as a business and not doing the legal paperwork.  I think it should. Feel free to disagree, however don’t try to spin this into something it’s clearly not pal.   I can buy you thinking I’m a douche for thinking that.. but do not shift goalposts.   Ahh, the troubles of the “woe be me, pampered, priveledged, society is out to get me” youth..  *slow clap*

Is there anything you like more than hearing your own voice postulating your judgmental views?  You should probably stick to opining on photos since you have some credibility there.

 

PS define worthless?  Worthless to you, or to society?  I’m pretty sure, that at 35 I’ve contributed more to society than you ever will.. but hey, that’s just one man’s opinion.  I’m not the guy you want to have a go at. (ps don’t misinterpret that as a threat, it’s just fact)

[dicksforeyes]

hahahaha

A masters in political science yet no concept of the state as a violent, coercive entity. Classic.

[Al]

Ah, NOW I get it. You’re one of those charging for shoots and not claiming the appropriate taxes or doing it legitimately.  NOW I get it.. hehe.  Should have been obvious.  Weak dude, really.   Instead of name calling, justify to me in a rational discussion, why you or anyone else charging money for services shouldn’t have to do it legally.  I’ll give you the benefit of a doubt that you’ll take this as a serious question and not just resort to pseudo-intellectual babbling without actually saying anything.. Should be interesting.

[Al]

Heh.. it’s not that I don’t get the state as a violent, coercive entity.. trust me I get it.  I actually work in a field proving such things (The “Allen Borrelli” in this link [http://ictytranscripts.dyndns.org/trials/slobodan_milosevic/040126IT.htm] is me, you know, the guy who wrote an “expert report” as evidence in front of an int. criminal court trying to prove a states involvement in ..uh.. violence, murder, ethnic cleansing, etc. So yeah, I’m pretty sure my actual, real life working experience trumps the nice little books you quote on a internet forum while sitting around doing fuck all in Texas.

So yeah, kid, preach to me about state violence.. go ahead, quote me some books you read from the comfort of your couch, probably in mommy’s house. That should be fun.  Hmmm I’m sure with all your forum jaw yapping, you’ll achieve the status of an international expert is something.. yep.. you’re going to be big in ‘life’..  keep on talking shit from behind a keyboard like the rest of you slack ass nobodies.

[Al]

*ugh ugh ugh* the sounds of Jason intellectually masturbating to sounds of his own words on the internet.  *ugh wow, I’m so smart, ugh, I’ve read a book or two.. ugh ugh, yeah, bend over anonymous internet people.. ugh..bow to my mighty knowledge ugh ugh take it, take it you tiny intellectually inferior people…. ugh ugh.. shit talking over the web is greater than actually doing something.. ugh ugh ugh.. I use big words disguising the superficiality of my actual knowledge. aahhhhhhhh, I’m awesome… Mommy?*

[dicksforeyes]

I have many companies and all of them pay taxes. What you’re asking here is that I explain politics to you in a post? If you had ever engaged in any sort of semi-meaningful discussion of philosophy, you’d know how absurd that is.

My advice is to read books–not the ones you read in school. Here’s a good place to start: http://mises.org/document/1011

[Author]

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