Perversion of "free market" principles in ludicrous taxation of souvenirs
(Because of republication fee for copyrighted editorial cartoons, it cannot be published on this post. Suggest a click on Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index page and scroll to the 2nd cartoon down that fit the main argument of this column)
...What to expect from Internal Revenue Service in rendering heavy taxation on the souvenir even if the owner had no intention to sell it after catching the ball?
Even if one catches the ball thrown by a "record-breaking" athlete -- be it basketball, football (American and soccer), heck even a puck in hypothesis -- IRS will blaze the trail in determination to judge and render a verdict in how much the new and lucky owner owes the U.S. government even if that owner had pledged not to sell.
But the young man was forced under the vexing financial difficulty brought on by the IRS to sell the ball in order to take the pressure off his back. And he doesn't have a bank account!
Another aspiring 'American Dream' success story dashed thanks to the overbearing bureaucracy of the cold, calculating U.S. government that commits the legit highway robbery in the broad daylight in extorting money in the form of tax to fund their useless, bloated and unconstitutional programs, including paying interest in hundreds of millions of dollars up to a few billions to the Fed and financial industry and sinking the trillions into the ravenous war machine (not to mention the mysterious disappearance of 2.3 trillion dollars as admitted by resigned Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld one day before 9-11 attack!)
The American Revolution rose to a fruition because Great Britain was imposing unreasonable taxation on the colonial residents among other egregious offenses committed by the British aristocrats in trying to collect massive amount of money in steep taxes stamped on the goods the Americans depend on as living standard subsistence and economic sustainability. The Declaration of Independence state this as a matter of permanent record for all to read.
Now, the U.S. government have become the tyrannical equivalent of mid to late 18th century Great Britain in unfair taxation, even on the treasures not intended for sale by the inheritors. Because of the recent news of the unlucky young man's ordeal dealing with the U.S. government tax agents, the treasures -- even an ancient sought-after comic book discovered and kept with the "not for sale" vow, such as Action Comics #1 with Superman on the cover -- are subject to taxation and other expense.
Even those attempting self-employment have to pay a heavy tax rate amounting to nearly half of the 100 percent, cutting their salaries in half and this means less take-home income to afford grocery, utility, insurance, education, vacation, business operation, housing and vehicle ownership.
U.S. government waste a huge portion of the collected tax money to spend on pork barrel pet projects like building the U.S. embassy the size of Vatican City in Iraq, military and technology development in weapons of mass destruction and suppression devices, mass corporate welfare, bloated government programs, Pentagon and intelligence budgets, overly generous foreign aid (especially Israel ) and perpetual warfare.
The average working American citizen is perceived by the U.S. government as just another tax asset to be exploited until death. Benjamin Franklin's view couldn't be truer -- "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes."
Only Ron Paul and Mike Gravel (YouTube video on their economic views), both running for president, have stated the identical plan to eliminate Federal Reserve and the IRS and get America back on track in the restoration of Constitutional principles to whom it properly belongs -- We the People!
FYI: A background story on IRS' tax estimate and enforcement of collecting taxes based on the value of a caught ball by a record-breaker.
Bonds' 756th ball going to auction
By Janie McCauley, Associated Press Writer
August 22, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO -- No. 756 is going to auction. Barry Bonds' record-breaking home run ball will be sold online, and fortunate fan Matt Murphy figures to be a half-million dollars richer.
The 21-year-old New York man said Tuesday he had no choice but to sell the ball — several people told him he would be taxed on the souvenir just for holding on to it.
"It wasn't hard. It was simple math. I'm upset by the decision I had to make," Murphy said. "I wanted to keep it. I'm young. I don't have the bank account. ... It would have cost me a lot more to keep it."
Bonds broke Hank Aaron's record of 755 with a shot into the right-field seats on Aug. 7 against the Washington Nationals.
Sotheby's/SCP Auctions will handle the sale at http://www.scpauctions.com beginning Aug. 28 and going through Sept. 15. The starting bid has not been determined, and auction officials estimated the ball would bring at least $500,000.
"This is the most historic baseball ever to be sold," said David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions.
The ball from Bonds' 755th home run hit Aug. 4 in San Diego also will be for sale on the site. The same company sold the balls from Bonds' 700th homer and No. 715 that passed Babe Ruth for second place last season.
[...]
[Barry] Bonds has said he believes his home run balls belong to the fans.
[...]
I wonder what the IRS thugs would do if he brought them the ball, and destoyed it in front of them? Would they shoot him for destroying money they think is owed them? After all, in this day and age, they are shooting people every day for less, and I don't mean the criminals.
Yeah, IRS auditors relish the fresh opportunity to impose tax on souvenirs even if these items aren't for sale.
IRS needs to be exposed for the criminal organization it is -- the legit version of the Mafia in fraud, extortion and racketeering.
Destroying the Bonds ball in front of the IRS auditors would be priceless. Ball must be mangled and grounded to powder then lit on fire and have witnesses verify that's the real one being destroyed.
IRS will growl in anger at the lost revenue to be derived from the ball. Will they still demand tax payment on the extinct-by-destruction ball or just go away?
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My blog Last Throes of US Empire