• boheme@quokk.au
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    16 days ago

    What the billionaires don’t understand is that we don’t give a fuck about having them around if they’re not gonna pay taxes. Let them rot in some tax haven for all I care, but don’t touch our taxes.

    Norwegians discuss tax with confidence, because they have access to all the right data. Almost uniquely among democratic nations, the tax returns of named individuals are public, in a database that all citizens can access. Likewise, information on companies is detailed and reliable.

    If there is one thing other countries should learn from Norway, it’s this. Where I currently live my colleagues are deeply unhappy and they all suspect their colleagues earn more than themselves. In Norway, you can just check. If women systematically earn less than men in the workplace at least we’ll know. And when whiny entrepreneurs complain loudly in public that they are bankrupted by taxes, journalists can easily expose how they receive millions in state support while only paying a few thousand in tax.