All Things Amazon

memebag

memebag

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If we tax Amazon, where will Amazon get the money to pay that tax? They can either:

1. Invest less of their revenue back into the company. Amazon spends a ton of its revenue on growth.
2. Reduce the amount paid to stockholders as dividends. They can't do this because they don't pay dividends.
3. Reduce costs. This would likely mean worse working conditions, and Amazon is already notorious for scary distribution center conditions. There probably isn't much they can do to reduce costs at this point.
4. Raise prices. This would just pass the tax on to the people who buy stuff from Amazon. It would convert a progressive (income) tax into a regressive (sales) tax. The people bearing the brunt of the tax would be the people least able to afford it.

So taxing Amazon would make them stop growing and/or pass the tax on to consumers. Option 1 might be best for all of us, but option 4 wouldn't.
 
Channel98

Channel98

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This story is from NBC News. I wonder if part of the reason Amazon didn't want to build a new headquarters in New York is because Jeff Bezos feared he might actually have to start paying taxes. :D

'That's pretty firm': Why Amazon is done negotiating with New York
Given the depth of the local opposition, a top Amazon official said, "We decided we don't want to work in this environment in the long term."

'That's pretty firm': Why Amazon is done negotiating with New York
 
scotchandcigar

scotchandcigar

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memebag said:
If we tax Amazon, where will Amazon get the money to pay that tax? They can either:

1. Invest less of their revenue back into the company. Amazon spends a ton of its revenue on growth.
2. Reduce the amount paid to stockholders as dividends. They can't do this because they don't pay dividends.
3. Reduce costs. This would likely mean worse working conditions, and Amazon is already notorious for scary distribution center conditions. There probably isn't much they can do to reduce costs at this point.
4. Raise prices. This would just pass the tax on to the people who buy stuff from Amazon. It would convert a progressive (income) tax into a regressive (sales) tax. The people bearing the brunt of the tax would be the people least able to afford it.

So taxing Amazon would make them stop growing and/or pass the tax on to consumers. Option 1 might be best for all of us, but option 4 wouldn't.
Click to expand...
With all due respect, fuk dat. Everyone pays taxes. If they can't figure out how to operate profitably and pay taxes, they should fold.
 
memebag

memebag

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scotchandcigar said:
With all due respect, fuk dat. Everyone pays taxes. If they can't figure out how to operate profitably and pay taxes, they should fold.
Click to expand...
Amazon is a corporation, not a person. Corporations pay taxes by taking money from real people. When governments tax corporations they hand over control of how real people are taxed.
 
scotchandcigar

scotchandcigar

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memebag said:
Amazon is a corporation, not a person.
Click to expand...
No shit! thanks for the clarification.
memebag said:
Corporations pay taxes by taking money from real people
Click to expand...
No. It comes from profits. Your premise that having to pay taxes reduces what real people receive is idiotic. Taxes are a cost of doing business; one of many, along with purchasing, payroll, shipping, licensing, insurance, facilities, benefits. Shall I continue?
 
memebag

memebag

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scotchandcigar said:
No shit! thanks for the clarification.

No. It comes from profits. Your premise that having to pay taxes reduces what real people receive is idiotic. Taxes are a cost of doing business; one of many, along with purchasing, payroll, shipping, licensing, insurance, facilities, benefits. Shall I continue?
Click to expand...
Not if you can't be polite.
 
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memebag

memebag

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scotchandcigar said:
Sorry, it's been a tough day. Did you know we're under a national emergency? Wonder what that's all about.
Click to expand...
It's about the end of democracy. Very similar to the end of the Roman republic.

I pointed out that Amazon is not a person because you said "[e]veryone pays taxes." It's important to distinguish between people and corporations. When people pay too much in taxes, they might go hungry. They might die. When corporations pay too much, they go bankrupt and might dissolve. They feel no pain. They do not suffer. The people who were part of a dissolved corporation are free to join other corporations. Corporations are imaginary people and should be treated differently from actual people.

I agree, taxes paid would come from profits, but that isn't germane to what I'm saying. Taxing corporations most often turns progressive taxes into regressive taxes. Regressive taxes harm the poor. Taxing corporations also gives corporate lawyers ammunition for their arguments that corporations should have the same rights as people, including free speech rights, which extends to campaign contributions and lobbying. I see that as dire threat to the rights of actual people. Actual people don't stand a chance in a world dominated by imaginary people that feel no pain, can dissolve and reform effortlessly, and can mobilize armies of actual people on their behalf.
 
scotchandcigar

scotchandcigar

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memebag said:
It's about the end of democracy. Very similar to the end of the Roman republic.

I pointed out that Amazon is not a person because you said "[e]veryone pays taxes." It's important to distinguish between people and corporations. When people pay too much in taxes, they might go hungry. They might die. When corporations pay too much, they go bankrupt and might dissolve. They feel no pain. They do not suffer. The people who were part of a dissolved corporation are free to join other corporations. Corporations are imaginary people and should be treated differently from actual people.

I agree, taxes paid would come from profits, but that isn't germane to what I'm saying. Taxing corporations most often turns progressive taxes into regressive taxes. Regressive taxes harm the poor. Taxing corporations also gives corporate lawyers ammunition for their arguments that corporations should have the same rights as people, including free speech rights, which extends to campaign contributions and lobbying. I see that as dire threat to the rights of actual people. Actual people don't stand a chance in a world dominated by imaginary people that feel no pain, can dissolve and reform effortlessly, and can mobilize armies of actual people on their behalf.
Click to expand...
Ahh, ok, maybe I'll agree...., wait, well, you see...

You know what? That sounds fine, just like you said it. OK, well, nice chat.
 
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JHDK

JHDK

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Amazon is our new god now.

All hail Amazon!

Welcome!



(Video is fake but they do have patents on those airship drone hubs.)
 
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