Showing posts with label Tax havens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tax havens. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Global tax rates by type

Share |
There are those countries which have something to promote when it comes to taxation. Consider Hong Kong. In the Asia-Pacific region it has the most forgiving tax regime. You can see a list of the taxes levied by country at the Invest HK website. I would caution you however these are other factors to consider - for instance:
1. Sovereign risk - HK is Chinese controlled so things might change. The same goes for any government, and some governments are prone to be more predictable than others, as Australia's Kevin Rudd is proving.
2. Your context - Depending on why you need a company in another country. Will it be an expense/cost centre, a revenue centre, an investment holding company, etc. Different countries treat different things differently. i.e. If its a holding company then a Goods & Services tax is not going to make a lot of difference.
Kind of amazing how some countries can support their economies on so little tax isn't it. Makes me wonder why you decide to pay so much. Oh that's right, you're a slave. You forgot. I guess you thought there needed to be a gun pointed at your head before you were defined as a slave. No, there just needs to be the threat of a gun pointing at your head, or the prospect of having your money siphoned from your bank account, or a tax office appointed debt collector taking possession on your home. Guns are so old fashion when you have an 'unrepresentative' democracy to destroy your freedoms. Don't get me wrong the idea of a representative democracy convened by you people scares me more. Give me consensus based democracy anytime.
3. The accuracy of the information - Forbes is the source of this information, and a reader suggests the numbers for France are wrong.
4. The information context - As a reader suggested, US might have lower taxes than Europe, but they have less complicated tax system, i.e. state & local taxes, etc.

If you think about this chart a bit you might just come up with a 'freedom strategy', or tax minimisation strategy if you prefer.
--------------------------------------------
Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Friday, October 3, 2008

Where do the smart capitalists and parasites hide?

Share |
"Four Corners tells the story of Heinrich Kieber – roguish hero to some, amoral thief to others - and the worldwide fallout from his actions".

Hiding money overseas is not difficult if you have a lot. All you need to do is hire some consultants. The trick is to find a way of hiding money without anyone finding out. The art of money laundering is attacked by Western (OECD) governments because it reduces their tax receipts. These people are depicted as drug traffickers and other low life. But could it be possible that they are just people who don't agree with the government's right to tax their wealth? Is it possible that these people are just pragmatic or practical capitalists trying to escape an immoral system, just as the Jews escaped persecution from Hitler.
It does not surprise me because I have such principles....too strong to hide behind some bank vault. Fortunately I am ready for any government tax agency that believes they have a right to my cash. Of course they can expropriate my wealth if I earn income, but as long as I live on savings they can only collect tax from what I spend. Fortunately I have modest needs.

So is Heinrich Kieber a hero? Well clearly not since he was not motivated by principles, but by money. He was paid $6 million for the information and he broke the law to achieve it. Now, before you respond that he is no worse than the capitalist he exposed, consider the following:
1. The capitalists will include among them men of principle who don't believe in tax
2. Men of no principles just trying to pragmatically hide stolen money by fraud or deception

The difference is that Heinrich Kieber is alleged to have stolen proprietary information, which is a Common Land offence, whilst the capitalists have breached an arbitrary legislative law, enacted by politicians wanting to enslave capital and capitalists for their constituency. A great many people don't think so they will not make a distinction, but they are hardly the same offences. Legislation is based on arbitrary, subjective law. I don't think it makes much difference whether you are enslaved by a majority or a minority, if you are forced to hand over your wealth or earnings, you are not a free man. So Heinrich Kieber to me is the equivalent of a gun runner for terrorists. The capitalists are just average men, most of whom don't have the clarity of mind to express their ethical principles, or otherwise they just think REASON is not the standard, so why should I show my money. Good luck to them. I trust they did not put all their money in the one place. Clearly the best way to hide money is:
1. In different people's names
2. In different countries
3. In different languages
I would rather help 10 honest men and 10 dishonest men than 1 government because every government I know is intent on enslaving the people they represent. The truth of the matter is that Western governments are imposing their system on every corner of the world. I actually think its great that there are conflicts in the world, because as long as there are ethical divides there will be:
1. Greater reflection on moral principles
2. Somewhere to hide
3. A critic of Western practices - where Western governments have defiled the concept of freedom. The concept no longer means anything. Ideas don't mean anything. People are anti-science. Even scientists are anti-conceptual. This is another fascist period again. You might be surprised by the things I say but consider the following:
1. Most academics are paid by government-owned institutions - places of safety, not competition
2. Most scientists only utilise the scientific method, which is based on indiction rather than deduction. Science has been reduced to statistics. Causation has been abandoned
3. Most philosophers are sceptics, who engage in rationalist arguments like its a mental game detached from reality. You see this from academics who sproute different ideas, but they have no commitment to any. They want to show how small you are because you don't know their secret terminology. They are word snobs, yet they would starve without a government salary. These are the impractical intellectual brutes. They are teaching your children.
-------------------------------------------------
Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

’Global Warming Misconceptions - View the table of contents!

Governments this year have ramped up their global warming propaganda, but in truth, just how certain is global warming. In the process of preparing a consulting report, we undertook some research and were startled by government policy. We will show that the propaganda being financed by government is shamelessly creating hysteria for the sake of political expediency.

Global Warming Misconceptions - Download the table of contents or buy this report at our online store for just $US9.95.