Posts by goldenmaker21

Just like the tax on cigarettes!

I honestly thought it was illegal since we're talking about e-money, but I guess it's all about the transaction fees because they're losing money.

Thanks

silvergardener6 said:If I have a checking account at Citibank using a Visa Electron, and let's say I win some money at a sportsbook and withdraw my winnings directly to my account via PayPal, is everything above board regarding taxes and all that?

🤔 I'm no genius, but I'm pretty sure the sportsbooks—the actual legal entities here in the US—are the ones paying taxes on payouts, not us individuals. Having to report winnings from online sites feels absurd since you're legally allowed to bet; I mean, PokerStars doesn't ban Americans from playing... I can just get a PayPal Mastercard and withdraw whatever I want. It's all legal, so why should we be the ones handling the tax paperwork?

I'm not an expert, but I think companies like DraftKings pay the taxes as businesses, not us as private citizens. They handle the obligation for payouts over a certain amount, not ME. Get it? Besides, when I cash out a ticket at DraftKings, does it even record that I won? No one asks for my Social Security number or my full name; they just see my ticket and the codes. So how are we supposed to pay individual income tax on it? Businesses pay it on the payouts. Hopefully...

So, I just bought a Paysafecard, and the cashier accidentally charged my Citibank Mastercard instead of using the cash I handed her.

Now I’m wondering... back in the day, when I asked The New York Times if you could buy Paysafecard vouchers with a Mastercard, they said a hard NO. Every clerk I encounter insists on cash because these things aren't exactly easy to reverse.
Anyway, the transaction went through. I called Citibank to verify the amount and the merchant info, and it says The New York Times Company. $33.

The receipt shows this:

For account_
Prepaid Services Company Ltd
Tax ID:
London, 25 Canary Wharf, then paysafe card voucher 1 for $33...

Seriously? What gives? If they supposedly block credit card purchases for Paysafecards, how did this clear? And why did the cashier tell me everything was fine and that using a Mastercard wouldn't be an issue?

Does anyone actually know why this happened when credit cards are usually rejected for these vouchers?

Let's be real—Paysafecard is essentially online money that should only be bought with cash, not on "credit."

Is there a banker in the house? Honestly, this isn't my headache. If there's a settlement issue later, it's on The New York Times Company for approving a deferred payment. They can settle it with Paysafe. But still... I'm an accountant, so seeing this messes with my head.

I’ll adjust my approach. I usually give the benefit of the doubt to people who seem overly polite—I'll test them out first to see who they actually are. As for the cold ones? They’re off the list from day one.

Another thing: you have to distinguish between people just doing their jobs and those who are genuinely kind when you meet them spontaneously.
But what does "overly polite" even mean?
Is it when someone insists on picking up the tab, or when they shower you with compliments without even knowing you?
And I’m talking about the same gender here.
I have a friend who is incredibly sweet and sensitive. For a while, I actually wondered if she was being fake. But that friendship taught me that some people are just wired that way—they're kindhearted and empathetic. Sometimes you just click with someone instantly. It's not like that with everyone.
When we met, she bought my coffee and stepped in to help me with a bunch of random things I needed that day. I didn't ask; she just did it because she had the time. Should I have assumed she wanted something? That it was an act?
At first, maybe. But I eventually realized we just hit it off. She’s just a genuine person who loves helping people she senses are good souls.

Jerry Ramos90 said:I know someone who absolutely can't stand people who are overly polite. It’s especially bad when they just met them or are just having a brief interaction. Whenever someone is being way too nice or performatively courteous—like a server at a local diner, for example—it totally gets under her skin. That excessive warmth, being super approachable, or just trying too hard to please everyone. People who are just wide open and overly friendly... man. She stays far away from that. 😠
Personally, I'm the opposite. I always fall for those types of people who are immediately open and easy to talk to.
I honestly can't wrap my head around why she has this specific repulsion toward them, though it's pretty interesting since she's actually really good at reading people. (Whereas I'm terrible at it.)
What do you guys think is actually going on behind all that forced politeness? What are their motives? 🤔 What kind of negative associations might someone like her have with that kind of personality? 🤷 And does it irritate you when people are super friendly right off the bat? Or do you find it attractive?

Personally, I've always gravitated toward those people; most of them ended up becoming solid friends I can actually rely on. They seem like the most sincere ones because they aren't hiding anything.
People who are faking it or acting "fake" usually reveal themselves pretty quickly once you hang out a few times and the politeness wears off.
Cold, reserved people always turn me off, and I tend to avoid them. It's hard to build any kind of connection with someone who can't relax around me from the start; if we can't get past basic pleasantries, what's the point?