How To Kill Small Business
The Market Ticker ® - Commentary on The Capital Markets
Posted 2011-02-28 09:49
by Karl Denninger
in Federal Government
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How To Kill Small Business
 

Just listen to Timmae....

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the Senate Finance Committee Feb. 15 that Congress should “revisit” long- standing rules that give businesses a choice of paying taxes as a corporation or through a structure such as a partnership through which they can report business income on individual tax returns.

That's right - double-taxation is coming here, if Timmae has his way.

Well, here's my response Turbo: This is one small business that will close the afternoon you do that.

“It strikes me that Secretary Geithner’s proposal to potentially force businesses to be taxed as corporations runs contrary to the administration’s objectives,” he said. “Most small to mid-sized businesses in the U.S. are structured as pass-through entities in order to avoid double taxation.”

Exactly.  That's why Cuda is a single-member LLC.  Double-taxation at a 35% rate is outrageous; it results in a total federal income tax rate of about 57%.  Add the ~15% in FICA and Medicare to that and I have a marginal tax rate over 60%.  I won't work at all if I only get to keep 36% of my money.

Here's the math:

$100,000 gross
 $15,000 FICA/Medicare
 $29,750 Corporate Income Tax (35%)
 $19,338 Personal Income Tax (35%)
========
 $35,912 Actual Income left, or 36% of what you made

 

Get taxed twice?  No, I won't.  I don't have to produce.  And if you drive the marginal federal income rate to 57%, I will choose to sit on my ass instead.  It's not worth working when I only get to keep 36% of what I earn.  I will choose instead to earn zero and become a leech. 

You already steal nearly half of my money; stealing even more will result in your getting zero and the economy getting zero.

As such your tax revenues will go down if you make this change.

Go ahead and do it Turbo - given that small business creates most of the jobs in this country, that change will cause the economy and federal revenues to collapse.

smiley

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User Info How To Kill Small Business in forum [Market-Ticker]
Visualcsharp
Posts: 343
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Silver
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Just a slight typo, Karl. Leach -> leech. I've seen this one made quite frequently here at TF. :) I'm under the impression the intention of leech**** is to evoke images of the disgusting creature.
Rickcaird
Posts: 78
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Boynton Beach, Fl
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Fortunately, Congress, as dumb as it is, is a lot smarter that Geithner. It is still astonishing, not only that he became Treasury Secretary, but that he continues to hold that job.

I suppose, though, if this were to come to pass, you could pay yourself a variable monthly income that happened to equal the monthly profits.
Docj
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They really don't understand the first thing about the dreaded private sector, do they?

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The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the people. As long as knowledge and virtue are diffused generally among the body of a nation it is impossible they should be enslaved. - John Adams
Trades50
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You think their going to do it? There's already an issue with low taxes overseas vs the US. To double taxes would push even more businesses overseas.

Turbo Timmy is out of his league. What has he really accomplished during his term?

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When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty. - Thomas Jefferson
Genesis
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Yeah I think they are going to do it. And it will simply hasten the collapse.

The day it happens is the day I go sit on the beach under an umbrella with a pineapple full of booze. I did it before and will do it again.

Go ahead and tax me more Turbo - I'm at my limit of tolerance for it.

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Lordhumongous
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I agree 100%.

Unfortunately socialists cannot comprehend your logic because they believe that all wealth is created by labor. Try running your argument past an admitted socialist sometime.
Truthseeker
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Genesis wrote..
that change will cause the economy and federal revenues to collapse.


He couldn't create that result any more efficiently if he INTENDED it...

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"...But people better realize that the worst-case scenario could actually happen.9/11 happened. This can happen. An economic 9/11, the likes of which we've never seen." Gerald Celente
Uwe
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Quote:
I won't work at all if I only get to keep 36% of my money.

I'm with you on that Karl. My business is also a single-member LLC, and a disregarded entity for tax purposes.

However, I think your math example is incorrect. Corporations pay taxes on net profits, don't they? Thus if you paid yourself a salary equal to the gross profits, the corporation would have no net profit, and would pay zero in taxes.

-Uwe-


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“Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience.” - John Locke
Corn1945
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I'm sure China loves **** like this. More jobs for them!
Genesis
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Quote:
However, I think your math example is incorrect. Corporations pay taxes on net profits, don't they? Thus if you paid yourself a salary equal to the gross profits, the corporation would have no net profit, and would pay zero in taxes.

Go talk to your CPA about that Uwe.

It doesn't work if you actually make a lot of money; the IRS will rule that an excess distribution and butt**** you.

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Bogey
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Doesn't apply to one-man shops, but let's not forget the ridiculous disincentive to hiring known as decimated Unemployment Insurance funds.

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I don't mind Obama so much. It's the people in power that I can't stand.
Jotapay
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My brother's anesthesia provider business would be affected by this as well. He and his partner are the two main employees doing all the work (putting people under, basically). It would reduce his income from comfortable 6 figures into lower 5 figures instantly.
Genesis
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Yeah, **** that. I've run a Sub-S, a C Corp and now an LLC.

The C Corp was a forced conversion for a whole host of reasons. You force everyone in the Sub-S and LLC umbrella to pay and report under FEINs (we all have 'em, they're just unused as they're "disregarded entities") and you INSTANTLY rat**** every small businessman out there.

**** that; I'll shut down before I'll pay.

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Wearedoomed
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Uwe: What Gen said. It's a similar deal to taking a dividend from a one-person S corporation (and paying less total income tax than taking salary only). If you take too much dividend vs. salary, the Feds will not be pleased.

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End_the_bubbles
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Let's just state the obvious -

COLLAPSE is their GOAL!

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In the long run even the most despotic governments with all their brutality and cruelty are no match for ideas. Eventually the ideology that has won the support of the majority will prevail and cut the ground from under the tyrant's feet and rise in rebellion to overthrow their masters.
Fidgit
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Just one more drive from the private sector into the public sector.

All plans are coming along nicely.
Rickysa
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As a sole proprieter, and not incorporated, would I dodge this? (My tax person is out today) Or is the gist of this, forcing all businesses to incorporate?

Reason: clarification so as not to seem too stupid!
Ostriches
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"The day it happens is the day I go sit on the beach under an umbrella with a pineapple full of booze."

If you became a "booze tester," would you get to write off the expenses to maintain your business?
Starvingartist
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I fail to see how one becomes a leech****, minus starving to death or living under a bridge. I don't understand HOW people get all this free money.

Best I can tell I'm not eligible for diddly, and I'm at poverty level income.

With a kid!

I totally missed How to Work the System 101 or something.


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"The only solution that is mathematically sound is politically impossible.
All the should's in the world ain't gonna change that."
Fidgit
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Starving, I hear the IRS is hiring...
Swarf_maker
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Not exactly on topic, but it points out Geithner's position, is the following from former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson on Project Syndicate.

Quote:
LOS ANGELES – In a recent interview, United States Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner laid out his view of the nature of world economic growth and the role of the US financial sector. It is a deeply disturbing vision, one that amounts to a huge, uninformed gamble with the future of the American economy – and that suggests that Geithner remains the senior public official worldwide who is most in thrall to the self-serving ideology of big banks.


http://www.project-syndicate.org/comment....

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"Eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty." Andrew Jackson
Starvingartist
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Fidgit, you probably have to have a masters degree in creative finance and womens studies.

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"The only solution that is mathematically sound is politically impossible.
All the should's in the world ain't gonna change that."
Trades50
Posts: 4215
Incept: 2007-10-30
Silver
Land of Tax and Spend
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Quote:
COLLAPSE is their GOAL!


Right now the tax rate applies to some trusts (35%). Wonder if that doubles as well.

When they loose the businesses they will go after the one thing left. Retirement savings.

Wonder if Peggy Joseph is living her dreams.




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When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty. - Thomas Jefferson
Jimg
Posts: 180
Incept: 2009-02-04
Green
Dunedin, FL
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What an a$$.

The political tin ear this comment reveals is stupefying, considering all of the sucking up the administration has been doing to the business lobby of late.

What they COULD do is just permit C corps to deduct their dividends paid, which would cure the double taxation issue. The reduced tax rate for qualified dividends and the corporate tax deduction for dividends received would go away as part of the bargain.

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