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EU Tax Collection Plan Will Hurt U.S. Economy
CNSNews.com ^ | July 21, 2002 | Veronique de Rugy

Posted on 07/21/2002 3:19:29 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

Falling stock prices are big news, and with good reason. If current trends continue, the market will have declined for three years in a row, something that has not happened since the Great Depression.

Unfortunately, some bureaucrats at the IRS and the Treasury Department are trying to make the market fall even more by driving foreign investors out of the U.S. economy.

They are trying to convince President Bush to approve a tax harmonization scheme called the European Savings Tax Directive. This proposal could push $1 trillion out of the economy, driving the markets lower and destroying U.S. jobs.

The EU Savings Tax Directive is an enormous threat to America's long-term prosperity. The proposal would compel U.S. financial institutions to collect private financial data on non-resident investors so it can be turned over to foreign tax collectors.

The plan is designed to stop money from escaping Europe's high-tax economies and fleeing to low-tax economies like America or Switzerland. In other words, the EU wants to help high-tax countries to collect tax on income outside their borders. This would create a global tax cartel, sort of an OPEC for politicians.

From the European perspective, a tax cartel makes sense. The European Union is very uncompetitive in the world economy. The average tax burden consumes almost 45 percent of GNP, and regulatory red tape makes it very difficult for the private sector to create jobs.

With this track record, it is not surprising that per capita income in the EU is much lower than it is in the United States.

To make matters worse, many European governments face huge unfunded liabilities for pensions, so it is likely that the burden of government will climb rather than fall. Because government in Europe is so expensive and the long-term outlook is grim, capital is fleeing from Europe to low-tax countries.

While a tax cartel makes sense for nations like France and Germany, it is hard to think of a good reason why the United States should participate in any tax harmonization schemes.

First, this initiative is an assault on American sovereignty. European politicians may believe it is unfair for jobs and capital to flee from high-tax countries to low-tax countries, but the United States has no obligation to prop up Europe's welfare states. The Savings Tax Directive is a significant threat to market-based policy and fiscal competition. But most of all it is a threat to America's interests.

Second, America is the best tax haven in the world. Low taxes and a strong commitment to financial privacy combine to attract more than $9 trillion of foreign capital to the U.S. economy. For instance, Congress repeatedly decided, with few exceptions, not to tax the investment income of foreigners and not to report this income to foreign governments. And since European politicians are too greedy to cut taxes, European workers and investors are wise to invest their money in the United States.

This inflow of money is a key determinant of American prosperity. Yet the EU initiative - and the power it would give to countries like France and Sweden to impose oppressive tax rates on income earned in America - would drive capital out of the U.S. economy. This would mean fewer American jobs and lower wages for American workers.

Of course, the European politicians claim that their "true" goal is to reduce tax evasion. They claim that the complete destruction of financial privacy is the only way to address widespread tax evasion.

Yet, real world evidence shows that lower tax rates and tax simplification are much more effective tools to prevent tax evasion. European governments should try tax reforms instead of trying to force other nations to adopt their bad tax policies.

This issue does not generate big headlines, but it represents an enormous threat to America's competitive position in the global economy. That is why it is important for the White House to take control.

If career bureaucrats get to decide this issue, the wrong choice will be made. And since EU officials have been bragging that America is capitulating on this issue, presidential leadership is desperately needed.

The EU tax cartel would have a terrible effect on the U.S. economy. The United States should reject this ludicrous scheme. Treasury and IRS bureaucrats are wrong: Foreign tax collectors are not more important than American workers. Let's hope that the Bush administration will soon tell the EU to take its plan elsewhere. That will give investors confidence and help boost the stock market.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Germany; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: eu; europeanunion; freetrade; globaltaxes; irs; libertarians; socialism; sovereignty; taxreform
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1 posted on 07/21/2002 3:19:29 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: backhoe; madfly; Stand Watch Listen; brityank; OldFriend; Grampa Dave; editor-surveyor; ...
ALERT!
2 posted on 07/21/2002 3:28:35 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe
This explains a lot. Good report, thank you.
3 posted on 07/21/2002 3:57:39 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Carry_Okie
How much do people want to bet that Bush will sign on to this?
4 posted on 07/21/2002 4:24:16 PM PDT by Satadru
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To: Satadru
Ya think?
5 posted on 07/21/2002 4:28:15 PM PDT by MissAmericanPie
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To: Satadru
Just what, exactly, leads you to believe that he'll sign on to it?
6 posted on 07/21/2002 4:31:37 PM PDT by rdb3
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To: Satadru
It would certainly be telling if he did.
7 posted on 07/21/2002 4:31:53 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Satadru
If it's an aid to corporate globalization, he will.
8 posted on 07/21/2002 4:32:32 PM PDT by bloggerjohn
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Thanks for the ping, TJ. Dang, it's getting difficult to keep track of the global mischief-makers. If I were the President, I'd say, "screw you" to the left and head on home to Texas to spend the worlds' remaining days with family and friends.
9 posted on 07/21/2002 4:48:14 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Tailgunner Joe; dixie sass; Memother; chesty_puller; Japedo; madfly; Snow Bunny; FallGuy; ...
GIANT PINGS AND BUMPS
10 posted on 07/21/2002 5:20:20 PM PDT by ATOMIC_PUNK
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To: Tailgunner Joe; *Taxreform
Great find -- great post. The issue of "Tax Harmonization" is HUGE!

[Whenever I see the word "harmonize," I think of "The Harmonizer" in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and the damage it caused when it blew up!]

All of you "One World" conspiracy buffs ought to get yourself educated in this matter and start beating your drums in opposition to this horrible concept, because if the world banking system is "harmonized" to the European Liberal/Socialist/Marxist model, the rest of the "One World" government provisions will not be far behind.

Dr. Dan Mitchell, Ph.D., an economist at the Heritage Foundation has teamed with Andrew Quinlan, President of The Center for Freedom and Prosperity. They have formed the Coalition for Tax Competition specifically to keep the United States from becoming a party to worldwide "Tax Harmonization."

I would seriously urge anyone who is concerned about the future of this country to visit those web sites, get educated on the issue, and join with us to prevent the United States agreeing to this Facist scheme.

The National Retail Sales Tax Alliance, Inc. is a proud member of the Coalition for Tax Competition.

11 posted on 07/21/2002 5:48:00 PM PDT by Taxman
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To: Satadru
How much do people want to bet that Bush will sign on to this?

I'd bet a lot that he won't. Bush remembers what a tax increase did to his father's administration. He won't make that mistake.

The only question I have is would he be firm or wobbly (i.e. no vs. not now.)

12 posted on 07/21/2002 5:57:47 PM PDT by Sci Fi Guy
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To: Tailgunner Joe; abigail2; abner; adanaC; advocate10; afraidfortherepublic; agitator; alisasny; ...
This would crush our economy permanently.

Pass this on to every one you know; it has to be stopped.

13 posted on 07/21/2002 6:50:52 PM PDT by editor-surveyor
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To: editor-surveyor
Bump.
14 posted on 07/21/2002 6:56:11 PM PDT by Rocko
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To: Tailgunner Joe; editor-surveyor
Thanks for the pings!

We really need to get out of the UN...
NOW!!!

15 posted on 07/21/2002 7:03:40 PM PDT by dixiechick2000
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To: editor-surveyor
Thanks
16 posted on 07/21/2002 7:05:53 PM PDT by 185JHP
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To: Tailgunner Joe; editor-surveyor
ooops!
Screw the EU!

"We really need to get out of the UN... NOW!!!"

Well...that, too!
;o)

17 posted on 07/21/2002 7:06:53 PM PDT by dixiechick2000
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To: ATOMIC_PUNK
Thanks for the bump! I'm there - don't get me wrong, but is there really any stopping tnis? Hate to play the pessimist but.......after a while one gets to feeling like one is doing global scale mosquito control with a single fly swatter.
18 posted on 07/21/2002 7:11:23 PM PDT by softengine
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To: Sci Fi Guy
He may try it out for a year, like he did with the ICC. Im not impressed with his spinal iron.
19 posted on 07/21/2002 7:11:27 PM PDT by B4Ranch
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To: Taxman
Not just the EU too, the world.

Methinks we are seeing the makings of the kind of global friction that is the equivalent of previous trade wars. Welcome to depression.

20 posted on 07/21/2002 7:17:02 PM PDT by flamefront
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