Nothing To Fear If You've Nothing To Hide

[Revoltingest]

This is what we hear from government when they
question & surveil us. I'm skeptical. How about you?

Biden's Total Financial Surveillance

Excerpted...
Imagine living in a world where every one of your noncash financial transactions—a restaurant meal, a Venmo transfer to a friend, maybe some bitcoin bought on the dips—was automatically reported to a beefed-up, audit-hungry IRS.

That dystopia will become a reality if President Joe Biden gets his way. Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and key Capitol Hill allies such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) are pushing a vast, intrusive financial surveillance system in the name of closing the "tax gap."

But don't worry: There's no need to fear if you've got nothing to hide.

"For already compliant taxpayers, the only effect of this regime is to provide easy access to summary information on financial accounts and to decrease the likelihood of costly 'no fault' examinations," the Treasury Department said this May in a nakedly authoritarian document called "The American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda." But "for noncompliant taxpayers," the department continues, "this regime would encourage voluntary compliance as evaders realize that the risk of evasion being detected has risen noticeably."

 

[ChristineM]

As they say, nothing to fear...

Early this year we completed our online tax return. It asks bank details of foreign nationals, we dutifully entred the details of the 2 British banks we use.

On closing the page we were told that we hadn't given details of a 3rd bank.

This 3rd bank is not precisely a bank but a money transfer company we had only signed up to 6 weeks previously. We put GBP into it from out UK banks, it is immediately converted to EUR and deposited in our french bank within seconds.

And just last week we received an email talking us that Google will be supplying details of anyone with a money making account to the french tax office

Still we have nothing to hide. .

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

I'm always skeptical of phrases like that. The IRS doesn't need to know where I spend my money.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

But don't worry: There's no need to fear if you've got nothing to hide.

Those are the scary words. It's not "I'm from the government and am here to help." No, it's this idea that you should be ok with intrusions of privacy and erosion of rights if you're not hiding anything.

 

[Revoltingest]

As they say, nothing to fear...

Early this year we completed our online tax return. It asks bank details of foreign nationals, we dutifully entred the details of the 2 British banks we use.

On closing the page we were told that we hadn't given details of a 3rd bank.

This 3rd bank is not precisely a bank but a money transfer company we had only signed up to 6 weeks previously.

And just last week we received an email talking us that Google will be supplying details of anyone with a money making account to the french tax office

Still we have nothing to hide. .

Sometimes when you've nothing to hide, a dedicated
civil servant (eg, prosecutor) might find something.
What It Really Means When Police “Just Want to Talk” — #LadyJustice Speaks

 

[ChristineM]

Sometimes when you've nothing to hide, a dedicated
civil servant (eg, prosecutor) might find something.
What It Really Means When Police “Just Want to Talk” — #LadyJustice Speaks

And if there nothing to find then let them waste their time.

 

[John53]

I kind of understand that laws like that are targeted at organised crime to try and stop money laundering but they are a major inconvenience to the average person. It's becoming almost impossible to use cash in Australia.

 

[Revoltingest]

And if there nothing to find then let them waste their time.

I recall reading that the normal law abiding citizen
regularly breaks laws...local, state, & even federal.
If government knows all, & if for some reason you
inspire its ire....uh....do I know you? No, I don't.

 

[ChristineM]

I recall reading that the normal law abiding citizen
regularly breaks laws...local, state, & even federal.
If government knows all, & if for some reason you
inspire its ire....uh....do I know you? No, I don't.

I don't really care, if you can't do the time then don't do the crime.

Even if is a piddling little everyday offence, its still an offence

 

[Heyo]

This is what we hear from government when they
question & surveil us. I'm skeptical. How about you?

Biden's Total Financial Surveillance

Excerpted...
Imagine living in a world where every one of your noncash financial transactions—a restaurant meal, a Venmo transfer to a friend, maybe some bitcoin bought on the dips—was automatically reported to a beefed-up, audit-hungry IRS.

That dystopia will become a reality if President Joe Biden gets his way. Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and key Capitol Hill allies such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) are pushing a vast, intrusive financial surveillance system in the name of closing the "tax gap."

But don't worry: There's no need to fear if you've got nothing to hide.

"For already compliant taxpayers, the only effect of this regime is to provide easy access to summary information on financial accounts and to decrease the likelihood of costly 'no fault' examinations," the Treasury Department said this May in a nakedly authoritarian document called "The American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda." But "for noncompliant taxpayers," the department continues, "this regime would encourage voluntary compliance as evaders realize that the risk of evasion being detected has risen noticeably."

It's less the government I fear. They are mostly too incompetent to do anything bad. Corporations and banks on the other hand ...

 

[Secret Chief]

This is what we hear from government when they
question & surveil us. I'm skeptical. How about you?

Biden's Total Financial Surveillance

Excerpted...
Imagine living in a world where every one of your noncash financial transactions—a restaurant meal, a Venmo transfer to a friend, maybe some bitcoin bought on the dips—was automatically reported to a beefed-up, audit-hungry IRS.

That dystopia will become a reality if President Joe Biden gets his way. Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and key Capitol Hill allies such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) are pushing a vast, intrusive financial surveillance system in the name of closing the "tax gap."

But don't worry: There's no need to fear if you've got nothing to hide.

"For already compliant taxpayers, the only effect of this regime is to provide easy access to summary information on financial accounts and to decrease the likelihood of costly 'no fault' examinations," the Treasury Department said this May in a nakedly authoritarian document called "The American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda." But "for noncompliant taxpayers," the department continues, "this regime would encourage voluntary compliance as evaders realize that the risk of evasion being detected has risen noticeably."

It's a lie.

 

[74x12]

This is what we hear from government when they
question & surveil us. I'm skeptical. How about you?

Biden's Total Financial Surveillance

Excerpted...
Imagine living in a world where every one of your noncash financial transactions—a restaurant meal, a Venmo transfer to a friend, maybe some bitcoin bought on the dips—was automatically reported to a beefed-up, audit-hungry IRS.

That dystopia will become a reality if President Joe Biden gets his way. Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and key Capitol Hill allies such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) are pushing a vast, intrusive financial surveillance system in the name of closing the "tax gap."

But don't worry: There's no need to fear if you've got nothing to hide.

"For already compliant taxpayers, the only effect of this regime is to provide easy access to summary information on financial accounts and to decrease the likelihood of costly 'no fault' examinations," the Treasury Department said this May in a nakedly authoritarian document called "The American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda." But "for noncompliant taxpayers," the department continues, "this regime would encourage voluntary compliance as evaders realize that the risk of evasion being detected has risen noticeably."

Yes we do have something to fear. You government. You.

Research democide.

 

[JustGeorge]

This sounds awfully suspicious.

What about when someone withdraws 50 bucks and goes to a farmer's or craft market? Or when you give the kid next door 20 bucks to mow your lawn?

I have a feeling minor happenings like these would start raising questions and undue suspicions and cause a lot of well meaning people problems.

 

[ChristineM]

This sounds awfully suspicious.

What about when someone withdraws 50 bucks and goes to a farmer's or craft market? Or when you give the kid next door 20 bucks to mow your lawn?

I have a feeling minor happenings like these would start raising questions and undue suspicions and cause a lot of well meaning people problems.

Just ask for a receipt ;-)

 

[PureX]

Interesting.

For years the government wanted nothing to do with actually figuring out what we owe in taxes. WE had to do that, ourselves. While all they wanted was the money. Part of the cost of paying taxes was in figuring out how much to pay. And the government had no intention of incurring that cost when it could make us do it.

So what's changed? Why, all of the sudden, is the government interested in keeping track of our money so that it can determine what we owe in taxes? I will tell you why the change ... The big corporate conglomerates that ALL our politicians really work for want it that way. They (private corporate entities) will get the government to pay them to keep track of everything we make and spend. They're already doing it in terms of spending, but now they'll have the force off law to make sure we can't hide anything from them. And then they'll sell that info to anyone who wants it for even more money.

It isn't really about catching scofflaws. What it's really about is another clever scheme to funnel millions of tax dollars into the pockets of private political cronies, in exchange for money kicked back to the politicians that set this up, in the form of legalized bribery, and regardless of how it will effect the citizens. Really, this all our government does, anymore. It's the basic motive behind every decision that every politician in this country makes. And it's not just to serve the greed of the corporate political cronies. The politicians make the same deals with foreign nations. Our politicians are for sale to whomever will kick back some fat bribe money out of the American tax dollars that get funneled to them, foreign or domestic; makes no difference. The Saudi military, the Israeli military, corporate welfare to global oil, pointless and endless wars and military actions; all just schemes to funnel billions of tax dollars into the pockets of these wealthy elites and foreign governments that will then pay big kickbacks to the politicians that awarded them billion-dollar contracts, and billion-dollar aid packages, and billion-dollar military support.

This will be just another excuse to award a billion dollar contract to some political crony corporation giving then the authority to spy on us for their own fun and profit. In exchange, of course, for the usual big campaign contributions (legalized political kick-backs) that the politicians will get in return.

And hanging this on Biden is pointless, because it's ALL OF THEM. Biden has been a corporate toady his entire political career, yes. But so have every other member of the Congress and the Senate on both sides of the isle. Every one of them: because if they don't engage in this corruption, they will not be re-elected.

 

[JustGeorge]

Just ask for a receipt ;-)

Like I could keep track of that... Will you visit me in the slammer?

 

[ChristineM]

Like I could keep track of that... Will you visit me in the slammer?

Of course

Reminded me of this bit of sage advice

Remember, a friend isn't the one who bails you out, a friend is the person in the next cell saying 'that was fun, what shall we do next week'

 

[sun rise]

First, reason.com skews right but is in the upper 1/3 of the media bias chart so I'm willing to pay attention to what they claim. So I did and was left wondering what it was really all about.

https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/us/pdf/2021/06/tnf-wnit-treasury-jun14-2021.pdf is a neutral analysis of the plan which paints a very different picture.

It clear from reading the KPMG (communist outlet of course) analysis that Treasury has real problems with lack of compliance and need for modernizing their infrastructure. Any alternatives need to address those real issues.

Their final observation is a good one: KPMG Observation: The Treasury Report does not discuss the impact of the increasing complexity of new provisions and regulations on compliance. Although increased enforcement may influence taxpayer attitudes and behavior, reduction of complexity may also enhance taxpayers’ ability to voluntarily comply.

It's best to steer clear of biased editorials about everything because an OP that is clearly from a biased source without in depth analysis will not be productive.

 

[JustGeorge]

Of course

Reminded me of this bit of sage advice

Remember, a friend isn't the one who bails you out, a friend is the person in the next cell saying 'that was fun, what shall we do next week'

In the eyes of this situation, maybe next week, we'll be really naughty and stop balancing our debit records...

 

[ChristineM]

First, reason.com skews right but is in the upper 1/3 of the media bias chart so I'm willing to pay attention to what they claim. So I did and was left wondering what it was really all about.

https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/us/pdf/2021/06/tnf-wnit-treasury-jun14-2021.pdf is a neutral analysis of the plan which paints a very different picture.

It clear from reading the KPMG (communist outlet of course) analysis that Treasury has real problems with lack of compliance and need for modernizing their infrastructure. Any alternatives need to address those real issues.

Their final observation is a good one: KPMG Observation: The Treasury Report does not discuss the impact of the increasing complexity of new provisions and regulations on compliance. Although increased enforcement may influence taxpayer attitudes and behavior, reduction of complexity may also enhance taxpayers’ ability to voluntarily comply.

It's best to steer clear of biased editorials about everything because an OP that is clearly from a biased source without in depth analysis will not be productive.

Id trust what kpmg have to say. Very well respected