POLL: Trump calls tax avoidance "smart," most Americans call it "unpatriotic"

[TomCADem]

Source: MSN/Reuters

NEW YORK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says paying no income tax would make him "smart." While nearly half of Americans agree with him, more people think it is "selfish," and "unpatriotic," according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday.

Some 67 percent of Americans said it is "selfish" for a presidential candidate to pay no taxes, while 61 percent said it is "unpatriotic," according to the poll, which allowed respondents to pick more than one adjective to describe paying no taxes.

* * *

During the first presidential debate with his rival Democrat Hillary Clinton last month, Trump responded to Clinton's allegation that he paid no federal taxes by saying that would make him "smart."

“What is he trying to say: that those of us who pay taxes aren’t intelligent?” said poll respondent Yonna McNerney, 41, of Denver.

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/poll-trump-calls-tax-avoidance-smart-most-americans-call-it-unpatriotic/ar-BBwZR8g

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Glad to see this poll

There was a time when all taxes were bad and lib'rls were tax and spend

The public can't be hoodwinked as easily these days

I think we can thank Obama with his almost 8 year war with the GOP Congress

[Igel]

2. And yet most of those saying "unpatriotic" do exactly the same thing.

They take the deductions they can, they use the tax breaks they can, and they take what subsidies they can.

Never heard anybody say, "I'm entitled to $X Social Security, but I'm going to take a 15% cut voluntarily to help keep SS solvent."

Or, "Yeah, I have two kids but I'm not going to claim them because paying more taxes than I need to is patriotic."

It's more of the same: I want services, I don't want to pay for them, I don't see the disconnect, but it's only fair for others to do the paying. (This written by somebody who paid a bit less than 6% federal income tax on his gross income last year ... after deductions for health, retirement, dependents, etc., etc. That was up from the previous year's 3 or 4%.)

[bucolic_frolic]

3. And some wealthy hire an army of accountants

to push the loopholes into uncharted territory and create new deductions,
tax shelters, depreciation trusts

So the meme defending Trump that he's just being rational may or may not
hold up to scrutiny

And the Feds sure are taking a long time with his audit

which says a lot of legal scrutiny is going on

[AlbertCat]

12. They take the deductions they can, they use the tax breaks they can, and they take what subsidies...

they can legally... y'know "they can" without twisting and conniving. It's what the deductions are there for.

And I doubt it eliminates a majority of their taxes. They don't abuse them.

This is not the kind of behavior being talked about.

"exactly the same thing" my ass.

[Marc2010]

4. And here I am paying my taxes like a chump. Right, Trump?

[progree]

5. 10 Times Donald Trump Bad-Mouthed People for Not Paying Taxes

Last edited Wed Oct 5, 2016, 02:09 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/10-times-donald-trump-bad-183008906.html

For example (mostly in my words -Progree) --

Many of the times it was tsk tsking the bottom half for paying "no taxes" (never true), or paying "no income taxes".

April 2012: After Barack Obama released his 2011 tax returns, Trump was quick to point out that the president “only pays 20.5%” in taxes on his income—far short of the highest tax rate passed on to many wealthy Americans.

Then on the campaign trail to sound "populist", he decried hedge fund managers making a ton of money and paying no taxes and "getting away with murder"

And, speaking of Ford building manufacturing plants in Mexico, talked of "unpatriotic companies abandon 'all of the taxes' when they flee the U.S."

=====================================
But only Trump is a "genius" when he doesn't pay taxes. Everyone else is a cheat and freeloader.

The article has much more detail. The above synopsis I wrote was to get most of its essence into 4 paragraphs.

[CarrieLynne]

6. im an atheist but since they cling to the bible...I remember a verse....

something about giving unto Caesar what is Caesars etc...(pay your damn taxes)

google says its Matthew 22:21....?

[Marc2010]

13. Render onto Caesar

Render onto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. Render onto God the things that belongs to God

[Midnight Writer]

7. Conservatives say our tax code "punishes the achievers". Yet our "achievers" pay zero, zip, nada.

The Trump campaign says it is "genius" not to pay taxes, and points out the many profitable Fortune 500 companies (such as GE) that also pay no taxes.

So why is their policy prescription LOWERING taxes on these mega billion earners?

Are we to believe that if we lower taxes on the uber rich that they will then be compelled to pay what they think is a fair tax rate?

Or will they continue to screw the rest of us while they pocket their tax cuts?

If every American had the tax avoidance capabilities of the super rich (like Trump), where is he as President going to find the money to build up our military, create an enormous "Deportation Force", rebuild our infrastructure, defeat global terrorism, "law and order" our minorities, and balance our budget?

Mexico can only pay for so much of Trump's fantasy programs.

[CTyankee]

15. and this latest story on how Trump bought expensive jewelry for Marla but had them shipped to

an address in the U.K. to avoid NYC and NY state sales taxes. So even there he avoided his own city and state tax obligation.

[Midnight Writer]

17. Smart. Genius, in fact. Brilliant, to be perfectly honest.

[DallasNE]

8. But This Is Only Part Of The Story

I presume 1995 is the year Trump declared bankruptcy for Trump Casinos and that year he declared a $916 million loss which could be spread out over as many as 18 years. But Trump has declared 3 other bankruptcies and each would have a similar loss provision that he could declare and spread out over a different 18 year period. Those could amount to several hundred millions more in losses making one wonder if Trump has paid any federal income taxes in any of the last 23 years.

[Retired George]

9. Or, dare I say it,

Crooked!

[Feeling the Bern]

10. Taxes are for the little people, in Trump's circle.

[AlbertCat]

11. then there's...

.... ethics. (remember those?)

That's bigger than patriotism. It crosses boundaries..

[riversedge]

14. REC.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

16. Y'know Im not convinced it was "cheating", just legal loopholes, but the scale of the loss

is astounding, does not look remotely like a "successful" businessman.... and is part of a larger pattern of valuing only his own narrow interests and nothing else really matters.