Originally Posted by ralphrepo
Thread Hijack? And some have accused me of being troll bait LOL...
Hmm... I asked the question of whether making the nursing profession as federally tax exempt would lure more people to (or return to) the field. But it seems that many here have decided to take it upon themselves to delve into, and discuss the history and or fairness of taxation. Though I certainly understand the passion that the idea of taxation generates, this was not the question. So it would be helpful if everyone would please stick to just answering the topic question being asked.
So I'll ask again, would taking away the tax burden from nursing cause more people to consider it a profession worth exploring, or a profession worth returning to?
Discussing taxation in a thread about the benefits of relaxing taxation is not all that far off topic.
You asked if nurses should be given a 'tax break' and the discussion slanted for awhile to the propriety of taxing ANYONE, nurses or otherwise, at our current levels.
Any good discussion of any issue spends some time challenging the basic preconceptions of the issue. For example, go look at the multiple threads on medical MJ use and see how often those threads spend at least some of their times discussing the legalization of recreational drugs, generally.
But, even being 'off topic' I did spend some time explaining how I thought your idea would destabilize the current tax system and, as such, the TPTB would never sign off on such a deal.
The current system is a 'voluntary' system in that it would be practically impossible to enforce mass refusals to pay. Enforcement now is primarily the ink that generates from the 'examples' made out of a few. Believe me, EVERY time the IRS reads about somebody going to jail because they underpaid their taxes by 14 cents, they LOVE it. Why? Because the public gets the message: wow! I should pay my taxes.
The tax code is THE major tool that empowers Congress. Most of the lobbying and therefore campaign donations deal w/ arcane provisions of that code. To date, all the 'specific' exemptions in the code deal w/ very arcane rules that apply to very few people. As such, those rules fall 'below' the public radar. Oh sure, we generally know about the 'loopholes' of the rich, but rarely about the specifics, or the specifics affect so few people as to have no bearing on my life.
Most 'exemptions' for the masses are just that: applicable to all. Homeowners dedections, chartible and work/medical related deductions, etc. At the moment you start granting specific exemptions to the masses, the public, just like those on this thread, will start questioning the basic assumptions of taxation. I mean, how is it fair that THEY get exemptions and not ME?
And that would lead people to say, to heck with it, if they don't have to pay, neither do I. The problem with ANY non-compliance is that, once it starts rolling, it takes on a life of its own. Once people see enough non-compliance that they no longer need or have to believe the stories about going to jail over 14 cents, then the entire system crumbles at its foundations.
First, I don't think tax exemption would create any more nurses than we are creating now with the waiting lists that already exist. It might pull SOME nurses back into the profession, but not enough. 2nd, I don't think the gov't will ever seriously consider specific total exemptions for any mass group.
But IF the gov't DID consider such exemptions, it wouldn't target nurses GENERALLY, but would be tailored to nursing INSTRUCTORS. Get more people to migrate to teaching, and you could take great strides towards increasing nursing numbers.
~faith,
Timothy.
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