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California is chasing wealth that has feet

293 points · 870 comments · idbnstra

  1. binlog · · focus · HN ↗
    Wealth taxes are a symptom of a broken tax system. If you let someone get to hundreds of billions in net worth and then realize they haven’t been appropriately paying back into the system, it’s already too late. Like the article says they can simply say “no” in a variety of ways, from fighting in court to simply leaving.
    1. philipallstar · · focus · HN ↗
      > If you let someone get to hundreds of billions in net worth and then realize they haven’t been appropriately paying back into the system

      This is to once again mistake net worth for money. Net worth is not real. It is not a good measure of the money someone may be able to realise. They do not have hundreds of billions. There is nothing to tax until they sell some shares.

      1. MisterKent · · focus · HN ↗
        I hate this argument.

        Would you rather have 1M dollars in cash or 10B in stock that you can't sell?

        1. m_arnold · · focus · HN ↗
          Depends -- can I use the 10B as collateral?
          1. philipallstar · · focus · HN ↗
            You can do it today. Start a company, issue ten billion and one shares to yourself and convince someone to buy one of them for a dollar.
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