You are free to send the government as much money as you like. How much do you send? If you are in the US, do you just send the amount that turbo tax tells you to, or do you send more?
Do you take any deductions (i.e. the standard deduction, or itemizing)? By the reasoning of your post, that would make you "something close to evil."
Priorities. I would pay the lowest possible amount I can legally pay in taxes and give to things that I prioritize. For example, the ACLU, the EFF, and the NRA. You sound like someone who already gives but for everyone else's benefit, here is a link [1]. Contributions to the ACLU Foundation are tax deductible for charitable purposes. (This means talk to your accountant if you make a lot of money.) Give, won't you?
But I don't want you to give money to the NRA (I assume that's the gun club), I would much rather you paid taxes.
I see the danger in the system you mention that lots of money will go to niche organisations out of proportion with societies requirements. Better to pay taxes in the hope that they are distributed where they are most needed.
I just saw [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZb8EXUrQTo) video and I hereby withdraw any and all association I had or I implied I had with the deranged senile people. I hope everyone who still is a part of the NRA dies a slow and painful death (without the use of guns).
No matter how much cryptoz makes, he won't get near paying $2B in taxes. The extra taxes cryptoz could pay would have no effect on anything in the government but could really alter his/her quality of life. Google looks like they will make over $12B in profits this year, so $2B less of it wouldn't be noticeable in any tangible way.
If you are in the US, do you just send the amount that turbo tax tells you to, or do you send more?
Speaking for myself, I enter deductions into the H&R Block program and watch the estimated payment. When the payment is something I think is reasonable, I stop entering deductions. So yes, I do send more than I have to.
You do realize this is highly unusual behaviour, correct? OP's question was more or less hypothetical, in that almost everyone who isn't a programmer sends exactly the amount they have to, and no more.
(and often less, if they think they can get away with it)
That isn't equivalent to what Google does at all though; if they didn't shift business around to shell companies in Ireland or Luxembourg and just paid the "the amount they have to, and no more" they would pay a hell of a lot more tax in the UK. You are comparing two different things: sending in extra money, which I think we can all agree is rare (although I also could pay less tax than I do), and actively using complex accounting involving other countries so that you pay far less then you normally would (and other equivalent dodges for individuals), which is not common among individuals.
Of course, it is not so easy to avoid tax as a salaried individual, which is why your comparison is failing. Somebody on PAYE (i.e. most people) can't create a clone of themselves in Ireland to pay their income tax there instead of the UK. If that option was available to individuals then I'm sure plenty would take it (assuming Irish income tax is lower, I have no idea). That is what the debate is about though: some entities have great flexibility and can avoid tax if they want, others (individuals of average means or less) don't have the choice to pay less.
Agreed, it's different. I didn't want to make a broader comment, actually. Was just letting OP know that his behavior (used as an anecdote to counter the other poster's hypothetical) is highly unrepresentative.
On a side note, one point I've been stuck on is what to call the commentors above me. I know there's established language for it (parent, grandparent) but I have trouble using it right. Anyone know what I should have called the poster of the hypothetical, and the response that I responded to?
Do you take any deductions (i.e. the standard deduction, or itemizing)? By the reasoning of your post, that would make you "something close to evil."