Tax Free-Holiday
If you have lots of money, 2012, had one of the best tax
days since the early 1930s: Top tax rates on ordinary income, dividends,
estates, and gifts remain at or near historically low levels. That’s thanks, in
part, to legislation passed in December 2010 by the 111th Congress and signed
by President Barack Obama. Starting January, rates may be headed higher in both
Canada and the U.S but the rich are not worried, they are able to afford their
way out of paying taxes.
For the 400 U.S. taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income, the effective federal income tax rate—what they actually pay—fell from almost 30 percent in 1995 to just over 18 percent in 2008, according to the Internal Revenue Service. And for the approximately 1.4 million people who make up the top 1 percent of taxpayers, the effective federal income tax rate dropped from 29 percent to 23 percent in 2008. It may seem too fantastic to be true, but the top 400 end up paying a lower rate than the next 1,399,600 or so.
That’s not just good luck. It’s often the result of hard
work.. Much of the income among
the top 400 derives from dividends and capital gains, generated by everything
from appreciated real estate—yes, there is some left—to stocks and the sale of
family businesses.
As Warren Buffet likes to point out, since most of his
income is from dividends, his tax rate is less than that of the people who
clean his office.
Warren Buffet Net Worth: $ 58.5 Billion
What is a
tax haven?
A tax haven is a country that exempts foreign investors who hold bank accounts or set up companies in its territory from taxes.
While citizens and corporations residing in the country are
required to pay their taxes like elsewhere in the world, foreign investors
enjoy, in most cases, total exemption, or at least a substantial reduction of
taxes to be paid. Provided they do not carry on business within the tax haven
itself. States that apply this kind of tax policies do so with the intention of
attracting foreign deposits to strengthen their economy. Most of them are tiny
nations with few natural or industrial resources. Their whole existence would
be threatened were it not for the booming financial industry growing in the
shadow of foreign capital.
Why is this
problem?
Tax havens, also called offshore jurisdictions, have
attracted an increasing number of foreign investors, especially in recent
decades. Usually they are people and businesses fleeing their own country’s tax
collecting voracity in search of a more favorable business environment. This is
not surprising, since in some countries with high taxes, especially in Europe,
the taxes paid by a person or business account for up to 50% of their profit.
This capital flight, of course, is not viewed favorably by
tax officials of the countries that suffer from it, as in the end an important
part of their tax revenue gets away. Therefore, they have tried to react with
different measures to hinder the transfer of assets to tax havens or to make it
unattractive.
But the new world order that emerged with the globalization
of the economy makes it difficult to exert effective control over the movement
of money. Trying to hinder the free flow of capital clashes with the claims of
global trade liberalization, which is defended by, besides most companies and
governments, also by such important institutions as the World Bank, the WTO
(World Trade Organization) and the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development).
On the other hand, the legal measures taken with the
intention of hindering the outflow of capital, and which usually consist of an
unfavorable tax treatment of investments in tax havens, have not yielded the
expected results either.
This is because it is relatively easy to hide the ownership
of offshore corporations or offshore bank accounts; so many people have simply
opted to conduct their operations in secret.
What makes
up a Tax Haven?
- · Personal data of owners and shareholders of companies are not listed in public records, or the use of formal representatives (called nominees) is allowed.
- · There are strict rules on bank secrecy. Data about account holders are only available to the authorities if there is evidence of serious crimes such as terrorism or drug trafficking.
- · Signing treaties with other countries involving exchanges of banking or tax information is avoided. Although this situation is changing in recent years.
- · Stability and monetary policy are promoted. Who would invest in a place with continuous coups d'état, wars or rampant inflation?
- · They have an excellent range of legal, accounting and tax advice services.
- · They often have good tourist and transportation infrastructure.
What can be
done then against tax havens?
The main actions have been aimed at putting pressure on the
governments of tax havens seeking to limit their confidentiality laws and bank
secrecy. This is currently being done through various international
organizations, usually under the banner of combating terrorism, drug
trafficking and money laundering networks.
Check out these interesting videos to learn more:
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