The real issueReader comment on: Tax Notes's Tax Hypocrisy Submitted by Michael Trachtenberg (United States), Apr 12, 2010 17:45 Taxes are how government funds it operations. Many government operations are vital roads, police function, maintaining quality of goods, etc. The issue behind what taxes should is what services government should cost. Somehow this subject, what government should do and how it should pay for it has gotten lost in a discussion over tax journalism. I disagree with Mr. Johnston that markets set prices. Sometimes sellers set prices. Markets set equilibria. A seller may set a price above the market price yet receive enough income to stay in business. Is this seller selling at the optimal price? Until there is competition or some impulse to change price and see if sales increase or decrease, we do not know if the price of the transaction is the true equilibrium and therfore market price. Is Tax Advisors too expensive? Reasonable minds can differ on this. Is Tax Advisors effective as one of many watch dogs on the tax system? Yes but this does not prevent other organizations from being effective. Future of Capitalism is also an effective watchdog. Does a discussion like this between two valuable and informed voices advance the cause of keeping the tax system in line? I do not think so because time that could be spent investigating something substantive is wasted on costs associated with starting a not-for-profit. Stay on topic please. Michael Trachtenberg Note: Comments are moderated by the editor and are subject to editing. Submit a comment on this article Other reader comments on this item
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