You're conflating "income tax" with "taxation".
Taxation is not theft. The government has the authority to tax that which it can regulate. However, the government improperly taxes wages that are paid in exchange for labor by having the wage slave declare it as "income", which they can regulate, and paying a tax on it.
There are lots of legit taxes. The income tax is a legite tax, using the correct definition of "income" which was never, prior to the 1940's, your wage or salary.
using the correct definition of "income"
See section 83 of the irs code. Compensation for labor is not income.
That's what I said.
No, I'm not conflating the two. I don't recognize the government's authority as I never consented to it, and neither did most people. It is not a voluntary organization created from a consensual agreement between two or more parties. It is imposed on us regardless of our consent; even before we are old enough to provide consent.
The government does not have the authority to tax and has no right to exist.
But you aren't the decider for legit taxes and you don't have to do anything that's regulated so, other than an improperly imposed income tax, you can avoid all taxes if you wanted to. Hence the word voluntary.
Don't want to pay sales tax? Don't buy from a business that's regulated to sell products commercially. Don't want to play use taxes? Don't use products from businesses that are regulated by the government. Etc.
I've read Rothbard. Yes. You never specifically consented to be governed. But don't expect to enjoy the fruits of government without paying the taxes to pay for those fruits.
- But you aren't the decider for legit taxes
Uh, yes, I am actually. Because the government has no right to exist, no taxes are "legitimate". This is not up for debate.
- and you don't have to do anything that's regulated so
How about I do whatever the fuck I want and if the government pretends it can regulate me, they can go fuck themselves? As if I only had the freedom to do something so long as some random government asshole hadn't yet "regulated" it.
- other than an improperly imposed income tax, you can avoid all taxes if you wanted to. Hence the word voluntary.
All taxes are involuntary, and if I want to buy or sell something without taxes, then the government is a third party interfering in a transaction that has nothing to do with them. Nothing has anything to do with them, because they have no right to exist.
- Don't want to pay sales tax? Don't buy from a business that's regulated to sell products commercially. Don't want to play use taxes? Don't use products from businesses that are regulated by the government. Etc.
Nah, I'll just buy from whomever I want and not pay taxes anyway. You're using the same argument as "don't want to get raped -- don't leave your house!"
- I've read Rothbard.
Clearly you could stand to re-read him then, as you entirely missed the point.
- You never specifically consented to be governed. But don't expect to enjoy the fruits of government without paying the taxes to pay for those fruits.
There are no "fruits" of government. The government forces its services onto the market and displaces other services or makes them overly expensive or of poor quality. I'll use whatever services I want because the market isn't free and I don't have the alternatives that would exist in the absence of government.
(post is archived)