Buffer should've done same but opposite what Koch brothers do: fund powerful think-tanks, but left of center, to promote progressive tax and eliminating loopholes and limitation of business taxes and capital gains taxes, I guess also promoting estate taxes for a good measure.
Disagree. Why would you arbitrarily pay the IRS money if you didn't owe them anything. It would put himself in a weaker competitive position against his competitors and for what benefit?
I completely disagree with you. The move should be to change the system.
He's arguing that the system should charge him more and his class of citizens more. Why would he arbitrarily pay more if noone else in his cohort is paying more? Doesn't make any sense.
What you are saying is he should make a donation to the US government.
No, those are just weasel words. It’s setting an example by doing what you’re saying others should be doing.
It’s why we have the phrase “put your money where you mouth is”.
And it’s not a donation. It’s intentionally paying more taxes because that what you think you should be doing. If the law changed he’d be paying the extra money anyways.
Well maybe you could consider it 'paying more taxes' internally but in reality it would be classified as a donation otherwise the US government would give him a refund for overpaying his taxes. And to my prior point I don't see how that gets anyone else on board.
The law won't change retroactively so I don't see "If the law changed he’d be paying the extra money anyways." makes any sense.
The argument is usually that you personally making the change isn't significant. Even $2B from Buffet isn't significant on a "US government" level. So making that change would "hurt" Buffet a lot for not much gain.
Changing the law, on the other hand, is significant, because it impacts every millionaire/billionaire.
Buffet shouldn’t have just cut the IRS a check for $2B because it’s “meaningless to just send the money”?
So unless all the pieces are in place there is no value in paying the amount in taxes you publicly claim you should pay?
That’s like saying alcohol should be illegal, but drinking all the time. “Well, there is no point in me not drinking, the point is to change the law”.
That makes zero sense.