Harold Nelson6 said:The corporate tax is 21%—standard for any other business out there. On top of that, they have to cover payroll taxes and various levies for all their employees—which is about 20,000 people.
Banks are the only ones exempt from sales tax, but honestly, that doesn't change much for us since they'd just pass those costs right down to the consumers anyway.
The real question now is whether we should slap extra taxes on them—and how to actually do that without them hiking fees for everyone else (personally, I think it's nearly impossible)—but it's definitely not true that they aren't paying any taxes at all.
So, do banks actually pay corporate income tax? It’s one of those things you hear tossed around in political debates—usually when someone's mad about interest rates or bailouts—but people rarely stop to look at the actual math. Do they? Yeah, they do. They aren't some untouchable entity exempt from the IRS just because they hold everyone else's money. But, if you follow the money, it gets... complicated. You’ve got massive institutions like JPMorgan Chase or Bank of America dealing with layers upon layers of deductions, credits, and specialized accounting that would make most people's heads spin. It’s not like they just write a check for their total profit at the end of the year and call it a day. There's always a catch, isn't there? Between the way they hedge risks and how they navigate the tax code, the "effective" rate they pay often looks very different from the headline number you see on the news. So, yes, they pay, but don't go thinking it's as straightforward as a local coffee shop paying its dues.
So, what exactly did the Americans end up implementing then?
While every attempt to tax banks here in America seems to fizzle out before it even gets off the ground, our neighbors over in Canada actually pulled the trigger today by rolling out a tax on bank balance sheets. It’s only a tiny 0.1 percent—hardly enough to make anyone blink—but the White House over there is already spinning it as this brilliant move to jumpstart the economy and get credit flowing again. Because, you know, taxing the people who hold all the money is definitely how you encourage them to lend more, right?I was just looking over some numbers regarding the US Federal Budget 2012—you know, that whole mess we dealt with back then—and it’s honestly wild how much the math just doesn't add up sometimes. It makes you wonder if anyone actually sits down in Washington, D.C., and looks at the big picture, or if they’re all just throwing darts at a board while sipping coffee? Apparently, there's this huge gap between what was promised and what's actually sitting in the coffers. It reminds me of those old stories from the America days, where everyone thought things were fine until the floor suddenly dropped out from under you. You see these projections, and then the Black forecast hits, and suddenly everyone is scrambling to find where the money went. It’s like when you’re trying to balance a checkbook but realize you spent half your paycheck on overpriced lattes and subscriptions you don't even use—except on a national scale, obviously. Is it incompetence? Is it systemic? Or is it just the way the machine is built to grind through cash? I don't have the answer, but watching the White House try to navigate these waters feels a bit like watching a guy try to fix a jet engine with a toothpick. Just... surreal, really.
I can't say I know exactly what you're getting at with "banderas," but if we're talking about flags—or whatever signal you're trying to send—it feels like we're just waving them in the wind at this point, doesn't it? Just constant signaling without much substance behind it. Anyway, carry on. Mark Campbell5 says:
Mark Campbell5, don’t get mad at me, but you really don't seem to have even the most basic grasp on this—you're tossing around theories with such massive confidence that are, to put it mildly, just plain wrong. A zero percent tax on banks? Seriously?
So, I was sitting here wondering—does anyone actually know how much tax those big banks shelled out last year? It feels like one of those numbers that stays buried under layers of corporate jargon and fine print, doesn't it? You see these massive headlines about profits, but when it comes to the actual tax bill they handed over to the IRS... well, it’s anyone's guess unless you're digging through some incredibly dense filing. Does anyone have the actual figures, or are we all just guessing based on what the news tells us?
I don't actually have that data on hand... you got a link or something where I can go double-check it?
I honestly don't even know where to start with this one—it’s just one of those things that gets under your skin if you think about it too long. You look at how things are being handled, and you just have to wonder... is anyone actually steering the ship, or are we all just drifting? It feels like we're constantly reacting to the last crisis instead of looking ahead. Is it just me, or does everything feel a bit more chaotic lately? Anyway, I'm probably just overthinking it again. Just my two cents. Mark Campbell5 says:
Are we going to bring the budget ourselves, or is the European Union just going to drop it on our doorstep?
If we actually end up joining the European Union, then logically... well, you know how it goes. Everything just shifts, doesn't it? It’s like when you move from a local setup to something massive and bureaucratic—you expect things to smooth out, but instead, you just get more layers of red tape to navigate. I mean, does anyone really think things stay simple once you're part of that kind of giant economic machine? It's all about the long game, I suppose, but there's always that nagging feeling that the rules change the moment you get comfortable.
So, if the central authority in the EU is actually planning out the budgets for every single nation... what does that even mean for us? I mean, seriously—if they’re sitting up there deciding the fiscal roadmap for every individual state, where does that leave local control? It feels like we're heading toward a setup where everything is micromanaged from the top down. Does anyone else get the sense that we're just becoming line items in some massive, centralized spreadsheet? Just a thought.
That’s exactly why they call it a union... it's meant to be shared—and it's an economic one because, well, that's what it's built on. Economics. Basic stuff, really.
How exactly are we supposed to build a unified economy—let alone a full-blown union—if we aren't even sitting down at the same table to hammer out the details together? It just doesn't add up, does it?
🤷
I don't even know where to start with this one—it’s just one of those things that sticks in your craw, you know? You look at the way everything is being handled lately and you just have to wonder if anyone in charge is actually paying attention, or if they're all just staring at their phones waiting for the next crisis to hit. It feels like we're constantly spinning our wheels, chasing after some idea of stability that keeps moving further out of reach. Is it just me, or does it feel like we're living through one long, drawn-out fever dream? Honestly, I've seen more coherent logic in a late-night infomercial than what we're seeing in the headlines most days. Anyway, just my two cents. Don't mind me. Asks:
So, we’re really talking about seizing private property now? Seriously? Is that where we are as a society? I mean, honestly—since when did the government decide they could just reach into your pocket whenever they feel like it? It feels like one of those slippery slope scenarios everyone warns you about, only instead of a warning, we're actually watching it happen. Where does it end? If they can take this, what's next? My car? My coffee machine? At this rate, I'll be lucky if I still own my own shoes by next Tuesday. It makes you wonder... who actually signed off on this level of overreach? Just a thought.
I dropped the link.
I can't say I know exactly what you're getting at with "banderas," but if we're talking flags—or whatever vibe you're trying to throw out there—it’s funny how much weight people put into symbols these days. It’s like everyone is constantly looking for a banner to rally under, isn't it? Whether it's some corporate logo or a political statement, people just love having something to wave around to prove they belong to a certain club. Personally, I think most of it is just noise. But hey, maybe I'm just being cynical. What was it you were actually aiming for here? kaže:
Is the government really supposed to act like a social services agency just to bail out bank profits? Honestly, since when did the White House become a safety net for big finance? It’s a bit much, isn't it?
Balloon loans? Seriously? Is that what we're calling them now? It’s like everyone just decided to collectively ignore the massive cliff we're walking toward—just stepping around it like it isn't there. You know, I was sitting there thinking about how much trouble we get into when we try to play fast and loose with the math... it's always the same story, isn't it? A little bit of breathing room today, a whole lot of "oh crap" tomorrow. It’s basically just delaying the inevitable, which—let's be honest—is a pretty classic move in this country. Why deal with the reality of a debt load right now when you can just push the headache down the road and pretend everything is fine? It's a gamble, plain and simple. Anyone else feeling like we're all just waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Wait, didn't the government step in to make sure those big banks didn't lose their shirts? I mean, wasn't that the whole point of all that intervention—keeping their profit margins from cratering?
So, what’s the deal with these housing incentives everyone keeps buzzing about? Is anyone actually seeing any movement in the real estate market because of them, or is it all just more political theater? I mean, we hear all this talk about stimulus packages and tax breaks to get people buying homes again—supposedly to jumpstart the economy—but does it ever actually reach the person looking at a starter home in a suburb outside of Chicago? Or does it just end up being another way for big developers to pad their margins while the rest of us stare at skyrocketing interest rates? Honestly, I’m curious if anyone here thinks these measures actually work, or if they're just throwing money into a black hole. What do you guys think? Is it a genuine boost, or just more noise?
So, who exactly is sitting on all these massive inventories of apartments they can't actually move? I mean, seriously—where is the money even coming from for these developers to build all this stuff in the first place? It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, isn't it?
[No input provided for rewriting.]
I don't know about you all, but I've been staring at these flags—these "banderas," if we're being fancy—and it’s got me thinking about how much symbolism we actually swallow every single day without a second thought. It's funny, isn't it? We see a pattern, a specific shade of red or blue, and suddenly we're ready to pick a side or start an argument in a Starbucks parking lot. Is it just me, or does everything feel like it needs a flag lately? Everything needs a banner to rally under, a little piece of fabric to tell us who we are and who we aren't. It’s almost exhausting, really. You look at the history books—or whatever passes for them these days—and it’s just endless waves of colors changing, people fighting over what a certain stripe represents, while the rest of us are just trying to figure out if the coffee is worth the five-dollar markup. Anyway, I digress. Just a random thought floating around my head while I was scrolling through this mess. What do you guys think? Are we all just obsessed with labels, or am I just getting old and cynical? Probably a bit of both. [User Name] says:
🤣
And where exactly are you getting this "information" from? Seriously. |
So, I was scrolling through some stuff online the other day... 😁
dustyscout53 Asks:
If I were calling the shots, I’d slash those congressional salaries by 20% tomorrow—and don't even get me started on those sweet, sweet pensions they get. Abolish them. Completely. And look, I’m not saying this because we need to balance the books or anything—I mean, we all know how that goes—but it's about the principle of it. It’s about sending a message to the rest of the country. People deserve to see that their leaders aren't living in some untouchable bubble while everyone else is grinding away. Isn't that how it should work?
That’s an interesting point you made there.
dustyscout53 said:Man, I’d start by slashing Congressional salaries by 20% and nixing those sweet pension perks. Not even about the money—it's just about sending a message to the people, you know?
Then comes the shock treatment:
- grab an IMF loan to tackle our internal debt once and for all
- bring in a property tax
- privatize 49% of state-run giants—think forestry, water, Amtrak, or Duke Energy—under an American banner
- overhaul labor laws to be more flexible, basically sidelining unions by showing how they protect slackers instead of actual workers
- administrative cleanup—first step would be reverting to the number of cities and counties we had back in the America days. The current setup makes zero sense since we're financially centralized but totally decentralized administratively—counties and towns don't mean much when they aren't getting any budget flow anyway
- give those extra bureaucrats some severance pay and push them toward training so they can help pull in more EU funds
- fix the whole government pay scale so it's based on performance rather than just how long you've been sitting in the chair
- a massive wave of privatization—sell off majority stakes in companies like Končar, Kraft Heinz, or Dow Chemical (since we clearly haven't mastered running them)
- actually fix the judicial system and get the courts on track—honestly, there are more judges here than in England
- tighten the leash on agricultural subsidies
- take out an IMF loan to digitize land registries (but only after we scrub the corruption out of the IT sector)
- find a way to finally put all that abandoned military property to good use
They tried all of that stuff in Argentina... and it ended in a total economic meltdown... definitely not a winning model if you ask me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argenti...%E2%80%932002)videodustyscout53 said:Man, I’d start by slashing Congressional salaries by 20% and nixing those sweet pension perks. Not even about the money—it's just about sending a message to the people, you know?
Then comes the shock treatment:
- grab an IMF loan to tackle our internal debt once and for all
- bring in a property tax
- privatize 49% of state-run giants—think forestry, water, Amtrak, or Duke Energy—under an American banner
- overhaul labor laws to be more flexible, basically sidelining unions by showing how they protect slackers instead of actual workers
- administrative cleanup—first step would be reverting to the number of cities and counties we had back in the America days. The current setup makes zero sense since we're financially centralized but totally decentralized administratively—counties and towns don't mean much when they aren't getting any budget flow anyway
- give those extra bureaucrats some severance pay and push them toward training so they can help pull in more EU funds
- fix the whole government pay scale so it's based on performance rather than just how long you've been sitting in the chair
- a massive wave of privatization—sell off majority stakes in companies like Končar, Kraft Heinz, or Dow Chemical (since we clearly haven't mastered running them)
- actually fix the judicial system and get the courts on track—honestly, there are more judges here than in England
- tighten the leash on agricultural subsidies
- take out an IMF loan to digitize land registries (but only after we scrub the corruption out of the IT sector)
- find a way to finally put all that abandoned military property to good use
That sounds like a decent enough idea... care to elaborate?
dustyscout53 said:Man, I’d start by slashing Congressional salaries by 20% and nixing those sweet pension perks. Not even about the money—it's just about sending a message to the people, you know?
Then comes the shock treatment:
- grab an IMF loan to tackle our internal debt once and for all
- bring in a property tax
- privatize 49% of state-run giants—think forestry, water, Amtrak, or Duke Energy—under an American banner
- overhaul labor laws to be more flexible, basically sidelining unions by showing how they protect slackers instead of actual workers
- administrative cleanup—first step would be reverting to the number of cities and counties we had back in the America days. The current setup makes zero sense since we're financially centralized but totally decentralized administratively—counties and towns don't mean much when they aren't getting any budget flow anyway
- give those extra bureaucrats some severance pay and push them toward training so they can help pull in more EU funds
- fix the whole government pay scale so it's based on performance rather than just how long you've been sitting in the chair
- a massive wave of privatization—sell off majority stakes in companies like Končar, Kraft Heinz, or Dow Chemical (since we clearly haven't mastered running them)
- actually fix the judicial system and get the courts on track—honestly, there are more judges here than in England
- tighten the leash on agricultural subsidies
- take out an IMF loan to digitize land registries (but only after we scrub the corruption out of the IT sector)
- find a way to finally put all that abandoned military property to good use
Doesn't work... we all know exactly who’s pocketing those checks. Got any actual ideas on how to make it functional?
dustyscout53 said:Man, I’d start by slashing Congressional salaries by 20% and nixing those sweet pension perks. Not even about the money—it's just about sending a message to the people, you know?
Then comes the shock treatment:
- grab an IMF loan to tackle our internal debt once and for all
- bring in a property tax
- privatize 49% of state-run giants—think forestry, water, Amtrak, or Duke Energy—under an American banner
- overhaul labor laws to be more flexible, basically sidelining unions by showing how they protect slackers instead of actual workers
- administrative cleanup—first step would be reverting to the number of cities and counties we had back in the America days. The current setup makes zero sense since we're financially centralized but totally decentralized administratively—counties and towns don't mean much when they aren't getting any budget flow anyway
- give those extra bureaucrats some severance pay and push them toward training so they can help pull in more EU funds
- fix the whole government pay scale so it's based on performance rather than just how long you've been sitting in the chair
- a massive wave of privatization—sell off majority stakes in companies like Končar, Kraft Heinz, or Dow Chemical (since we clearly haven't mastered running them)
- actually fix the judicial system and get the courts on track—honestly, there are more judges here than in England
- tighten the leash on agricultural subsidies
- take out an IMF loan to digitize land registries (but only after we scrub the corruption out of the IT sector)
- find a way to finally put all that abandoned military property to good use
Here's what actually happened:
The Vice President and Secretary of the Treasury, Ivan Šuker, signed an agreement this Tuesday with the head of the World Bank office in America, Andreas Horvai, for a 26 million euro loan aimed at improving the efficiency of the judicial system.source
It just doesn't work...
dustyscout53 said:Man, I’d start by slashing Congressional salaries by 20% and nixing those sweet pension perks. Not even about the money—it's just about sending a message to the people, you know?
Then comes the shock treatment:
- grab an IMF loan to tackle our internal debt once and for all
- bring in a property tax
- privatize 49% of state-run giants—think forestry, water, Amtrak, or Duke Energy—under an American banner
- overhaul labor laws to be more flexible, basically sidelining unions by showing how they protect slackers instead of actual workers
- administrative cleanup—first step would be reverting to the number of cities and counties we had back in the America days. The current setup makes zero sense since we're financially centralized but totally decentralized administratively—counties and towns don't mean much when they aren't getting any budget flow anyway
- give those extra bureaucrats some severance pay and push them toward training so they can help pull in more EU funds
- fix the whole government pay scale so it's based on performance rather than just how long you've been sitting in the chair
- a massive wave of privatization—sell off majority stakes in companies like Končar, Kraft Heinz, or Dow Chemical (since we clearly haven't mastered running them)
- actually fix the judicial system and get the courts on track—honestly, there are more judges here than in England
- tighten the leash on agricultural subsidies
- take out an IMF loan to digitize land registries (but only after we scrub the corruption out of the IT sector)
- find a way to finally put all that abandoned military property to good use
Absolutely.
