[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Yes, you've said that you support an estate tax, but you've still given none of us a reason why we should. "Canada does not have an estate tax, and IMO badly needs one" -- why? I don't really care that you stand to lose and don't care, I do as do many of us, and thus I do care. You've explained that taxation happens for various transactions -- great, there are also plenty of instances where an exception exists. You've not explained why this particular exception should not be, only that you believe it so. I remain unconvinced.

As a left-leaning progressive who wasn't born into a family with significant wealth, an estate tax would impact what little I might get from my parents one day. The same argument against a flat income tax (10% of $50,000 is more impactful to that person than 10% of $5,000,000) could also apply to an estate tax. I do well for myself and my family, but someone who is less fortunate getting whatever their parents have left might be able to help themselves out quite a bit in this world, but somehow you think it's justified to impose upon them a tax that would disproportionately affect them versus someone who is getting a ton more.

Raising GST also impacts lower income people disproportionately. Nice.

I certainly 'give a damn' about others, but I think you're going about accomplishing your goals entirely the wrong way.

The point is the government has to raise revenues somehow. Inheritance is something that a person lucks into by being born into a family that has money. It is not earned directly via hard work. So it seems like the least controversial thing to tax. Kind of astonishing how controversial the idea of an estate tax seems to be.

Of course putting a threshold on it makes sense. The first (insert amount here) of a person's inheritance would only be taxed at a low rate, but the amount above that would be taxed at a much higher rate. That way, small inheritances don't get taxed much, but larger ones get taxed more heavily.

Perhaps raising the GST is superfluous if we're going to increase the carbon tax.

Originally Posted by puckedoff

I could be mis-reading this but are you arguing against due process? Would it be better if the CRA had ultimate power to seize assets with no recourse, I do not think so, that is third-world dictator-esque.

Specifically in cases that involve money in offshore accounts, shell companies, etc, it is not a good outcome when these cases get bogged down for years in the appeals process. Something has to change to make these cases more straightforward for the CRA to enforce its policies.

How is it that the funds to help others has to come from the rich, or other individuals? Is it more productive to fund government programs by taking money out of the economy, earning 5% than by the government raising funds at 1.5% with debt offerings?

The Government isn't really capital constricted, and I don't think they could necessarily solve the complex problems of helping everybody even if they had free reign to impose judgements on the risk and force liquidation of otherwise productive assets.

If you're suggesting getting rid of all taxes, and the government funding itself purely through printing money, the problem there is that it would create inflation.