Re: Hard to Tax Scenario

Re: Hal Finney's exegesis on Robin Hanson's scenario of Ann, virtual MD

>On the other hand, if tax evasion is nearly universally practiced,
>perhaps there are strong cultural pressures against turning someone in.
>

On the contrary, in a world of anonymous payments and nyms, there is a
significant value for connecting nyms and true names and, hence a thriving
market in any information that might lead to a connection.

Bounty hunters maintain an ongoing lifestyle analysis on every true person.
Hot lists of people whose visible consumption and reported work don't jive
circulate widely. Ann can't walk down the street in a new pair of shoes
without 5 people sending in an mpeg to claim the micro-payment. And she
lives in terror as she watches the offer price for info about her rise.

By the way, as a covert MD with a receptionist cover, whom does she date?

Arnold Reinhold

Arnold G. Reinhold writes:
>By the way, as a covert MD with a receptionist cover, whom does she date?

Good point.  A big advantage of larger incomes for many people is the
ability to impress other people, like potential dates, with whom they
would like a relationship in the physical world.  

Bill Frantz writes:
>I am not sure we aren't close to that 30% if you include the people who
>receive small portions of their income in cash and fail to report it.

I meant 30% of income, not 30% of people.  

Robin D. Hanson  hanson@hss.caltech.edu  http://hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/