Another reason I like living in the USA

[ls99]

There is a big brouhaha in Germany regarding some -OK a lot - of art found in a Munich apartment. I take no position in the legitimacy of ownership of said art, which according to the owner was proven to be his.

The shocking part to me is how it was found.

From the articcle:
BBC News - Nazi-looted art: German collector says he owns pictures

"The works were discovered in Mr Gurlitt's home in March 2012 during a routine tax inspection. "

I added the bold formatting.
Notwithstanding the routine archiving of practically all electronic communications by the NSA. At least the taxing authorities have no authority to routinely rifle through my residence for tax inspections. Yet. Hopefully I will live out my retirement without ever experiencing such intrusion into my life.

 

[Gumby]

There is a big brouhaha in Germany regarding some -OK a lot - of art found in a Munich apartment. I take no position in the legitimacy of ownership of said art, which according to the owner was proven to be his.

The shocking part to me is how it was found.

From the articcle:
BBC News - Nazi-looted art: German collector says he owns pictures

"The works were discovered in Mr Gurlitt's home in March 2012 during a routine tax inspection. "

I added the bold formatting.
Notwithstanding the routine archiving of practically all electronic communications by the NSA. At least the taxing authorities have no authority to routinely rifle through my residence for tax inspections. Yet. Hopefully I will live out my retirement without ever experiencing such intrusion into my life.

I wouldn't characterize it as a "routine tax inspection". See this article for particulars

£1bn haul of art by Picasso, Renoir and Matisse found in squalid Munich flat | Mail Online


But I do still like living in the US.

 

[ls99]

THanks for the link. Interesting difference in a BBC v Mail online story. I should have known to consult at least three media sources to find some semblance to factual info. My bad.

Still, the Mail article says one has to be registered with the police with one's addres as well as the the taxing authorities. Unlike the US where tax and income disclusres to the IRS are considered voluntary.

 

[Nodak]

When I was a child ND still had a personal property tax. Once a year an assessor would come and go through the house looking for new items so they could be taxed. Almost no one actually paid the personal property tax and the local paper would publish pages of lists of non-payers. Eventually the personal property tax law was repealed.

 

[W2R]

I agree, ls99. I really do feel lucky to live in a country where I have never had to endure such blatant invasions of my privacy.

Now, if only we can get the health care situation straightened out! Oh well, we may not be perfect but I still have no desire to live outside the US.

 

[haha]

HaStill, the Mail article says one has to be registered with the police with one's addres as well as the the taxing authorities. Unlike the US where tax and income disclusres to the IRS are considered voluntary.

As in you volunteer or go to prison?

Ha

 

[Onward]

Once a year an assessor would come and go through the house looking for new items so they could be taxed.

"And when the tax man come to the door, Lord the house look like a rummage sale."

I always wondered about that line.

 

[brett]

I understand that in some countries the Government routinely listens in and records private telephone conversations without any oversight whatsoever.

Would not want to live in a country like that either.

Does anyone really think that the IRS wears kid gloves and is reluctant to enter premises and do seizures?

 

[Gumby]

I understand that in some countries the Government routinely listens in and records private telephone conversations without any oversight whatsoever.

Would not want to live in a country like that either.

.

 

[REWahoo]

That's a mighty big pot he's stirring...

 

[hicabob]

I understand that in some countries the Government routinely listens in and records private telephone conversations without any oversight whatsoever.

Would not want to live in a country like that either.

Does anyone really think that the IRS wears kid gloves and is reluctant to enter premises and do seizures?

After seeing the IRS auction off my neighbors house 30 or so years ago I learned to fear and respect them. I wonder how much access to NSA info the IRS does/will get?

 

[Meadbh]

When I was a child ND still had a personal property tax. Once a year an assessor would come and go through the house looking for new items so they could be taxed. Almost no one actually paid the personal property tax and the local paper would publish pages of lists of non-payers. Eventually the personal property tax law was repealed.

I never knew that. It's a bit creepy! Reminds me of the penal laws in Ireland a century or two ago.

 

[MooreBonds]

This was another line from the story that caught my eye (in bold)

Customs officers found him crossing the Swiss border by train in 2010 with a large sum in cash, eventually prompting a raid on his apartment early last year. Prosecutors confiscated works by Renaissance and Modernist masters, some long thought lost in the war, others hitherto undocumented.

So they find someone crossing their border with a questionably large amount of cash in 2010...then take almost 2 years to finally follow up on it

Wow - I thought the Germans were more efficient than that! Guess it goes to show that tax bureaucracies can be slow no matter what flag they are flying...

 

[ls99]

One more thing. The flags which got him the scrutiny were , not registered with tax authorities, no registered address with the police, and ....... wait for it....... NO HEALTH INSURANCE!

Those in addition to appearing nervous. Good thing he was not standing up with clenched buttocks.

Hmmmm. We now have mondatory health isurance law in the US. How long before the other two are added? As per Ha's comment in post #6 -tax liability declaration may be voluntary on paper, just don't try not to.

Oh, never mind. Roseanne Rosana Donna.

 

[photoguy]

.

Awesome picture.

 

[travelover]

You won't believe this, but when I was a teenager, the government could snatch you off the street, send you halfway around the world and get you killed.

 

[brett]

Yes, I think that it pays to take a really good look in the mirror before criticizing other countries.

 

[donheff]

You won't believe this, but when I was a teenager, the government could snatch you off the street, send you halfway around the world and get you killed.

And you had no vote on it.

 

[ls99]

You won't believe this, but when I was a teenager, the government could snatch you off the street, send you halfway around the world and get you killed.

Yep, know that.

Yours truly, US Army 1967-1970, +13 years reserve. RA 11XXXXXX.

 

[Nodak]

I never knew that. It's a bit creepy! Reminds me of the penal laws in Ireland a century or two ago.

Watch the movie "A Christmas Story" there's a scene in there of the assessor visiting. As Ralphie says in there I was assessor proofed at an early age.

 

[HFWR]

Rick Derringer&Edgar Winter's white trash back in the usa - YouTube

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yes, I think that it pays to take a really good look in the mirror before criticizing other countries.

Good thing you live in paradise, eh?

 

[robnplunder]

I have been paying tax at 30% rate all my life as a megacorp employee. I see a lot of small/big business people and individuals building wealth at the expense of honest tax payers. Perhaps, IRS should be more efficient in finding the violators, and closing loopholes. For every IRS story about making a taxpayer's life hard, I bet there are 1000 that IRS don't catch.

 

[2B]

For every IRS story about making a taxpayer's life hard, I bet there are 1000 that IRS don't catch.

I agree. Part of the problem is the complexity of the tax code. We have congress writing laws and IRS defining/redefining. There are so many ways to manipulate expenses and income that it can be scary.

DW ran a small at-home business for a few years. I did her/our taxes. We could write off all sorts of "business expenses" that we would have spent even if she didn't have a business. I totally wrote off a car amongst other spending.

I had a friend with a distributorship. He went elk hunting every year in Colorado and wrote it off because he always brought along at least one client. The client was selected based on being a guy easy to get along with, a hunter and did enough business with him to not be totally laughable.