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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. 14u2c · · focus · HN ↗
        You are ignoring the most common approach, borrow against the asset. In that case the sufficient assets turn into essentially unlimited untaxed cashflow. Especially with how the market has been lately, the gains erase any burden of the loan. Sounds like a broken tax system to me.
        1. throwawayfifo · · focus · HN ↗
          >into essentially unlimited untaxed cashflow

          Loans must be paid back. Loans are cash flow neutral (cash flow negative with interest) over the maturity. That's why loans are not counted as income.

          1. txhwind · · focus · HN ↗
            However, the bank is happy to extend the loan infinitely for people with enough assets. It's questionable that whether such loans are cash flow neutral.
            1. throwawayfifo · · focus · HN ↗
              >However, the bank is happy to extend the loan infinitely for people with enough assets.

              Long maturity products still have to be repaid. There are no "infinite" maturity loan products for retail customers.

              >It's questionable that whether such loans are cash flow neutral.

              There's zero question: loans are cash flow negative (for customers) with interest. Banks are not going to offer products that are not cash flow positive for the bank.

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