Nordic counties, everyone's tax returns can be viewed by the public

[Independent voter]

So the guy in the video says that having your income and you tax returns made public has a lot of benefits. I can see how it would keep some people honest, not sending their money offshore.

But it reminds me of CEO salaries in the US. At one time CEOs in the US made reasonable salaries. What happened? Forbes magazine started publishing CEO salaries, they have to make their salaries public because they are publically held. This list made all the CEOs hyper competitive, "Why does he make more than I do, I have twice the responsibility. I should make twice as much as him!" And CEO salaries have been increasing ever since.

So maybe it would cut down on corruption, but maybe some might not like making less than their coworkers.

[Deletedaccount1]

How would that cut down on corruption? You can look up roughly how much senators and congressmen earn in the US.

I don't see why it would matter what a private citizen earns since it isn't your business what they earn.

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I don't get the happiness gap thing wtf explain this to me

[Ahovv]

So the guy in the video says that having your income and you tax returns made public has a lot of benefits. I can see how it would keep some people honest, not sending their money offshore.

But it reminds me of CEO salaries in the US. At one time CEOs in the US made reasonable salaries. What happened? Forbes magazine started publishing CEO salaries, they have to make their salaries public because they are publically held. This list made all the CEOs hyper competitive, "Why does he make more than I do, I have twice the responsibility. I should make twice as much as him!" And CEO salaries have been increasing ever since.

So maybe it would cut down on corruption, but maybe some might not like making less than their coworkers.

I don't fully understand the logic at play here. If publicly posted salaries by Forbes was one of the factors for competitive increases, how would publicly posted salaries by the government be different?

[Cairhiin]

Eh yea this is a none issue really in these countries. You have to understand that Nordic countries are very egalitarian in nature (same as the Netherlands). The only thing that is annoying is whenever the tax returns appear, all the crappy tabloids are full of "He earned more and she earned more than..." crap.

[Daerio]

I think the point of making your tax returns public isn't about how much money you made, but more about what kind of exemptions you filed and where your money came from. The bit about CEOs becoming more competitive is just nonsense.

[Ghostpanther]

It is fine if they want to do it. But here in the US, it is no one's business how much they make or give to charity with the exception of the IRS. The only salary which is and should be made public is if it is from a public paid job.

[Deleted]

it works for countries with low crime rate. in not so lucky countries organized crime would put their own tax collectors on top of this system.

[Skayaq]

I fell like I should defend my country here. Here in Denmark we don't have citizens tax returns available to everyone, though the previous government tried to make tax records for international companies public but they ended up ultimately dropping the proposal.

[Zarc]

I am of the opinion that the more information and facts you have the better. In this day and age of post-Factual politics that is more important than ever. And while this particular piece of information might be a very small part of that, it is still a small part that together adds up to something much larger and more important. Seems like knowing what your colleagues earn would be very beneficial for the employed masses, as would knowing what the CEO of the company you work for that "can't afford" to give you a raise earns. Allows you to make more informed demands and career-decisions. I mean the neo-fascist narcissists will probobly get a good raise out of their bargaining with their employer, but for the kindhearted gentle people of this world this information is gold.

[Grim Retailer]

Its not just how much income you have. It is how much taxable income you have, and how much tax you pay

So if you have a taxable income of $ 9 000/year, and zero taxes, yet live in a mansion with a car for every day of the week, you will lose the respect of your peers and be regarded as a mooch and a freeloader. Much the same if your income is average 80-90k, and you've managed to avoid all taxes.

[Grummgug]

Its not just how much income you have. It is how much taxable income you have, and how much tax you pay

So if you have a taxable income of $ 9 000/year, and zero taxes, yet live in a mansion with a car for every day of the week, you will lose the respect of your peers and be regarded as a mooch and a freeloader. Much the same if your income is average 80-90k, and you've managed to avoid all taxes.

Or it might mean they have $150 million and retired at age 35.

[Tico]

I would say, such a thing, maybe for ones with an important public/political position, can be helpful.
For anyone, I don't think it is a good idea. At least not now.

[Grim Retailer]

Or it might mean they have $150 million and retired at age 35.

No "or". If you have 150 million $ and pay 0 $ tax, it means you are a mooch and freeloader.

The point here is not to let you gauge how well you are dong financially compared to your friends and acquaintances. Although admittedly some use it for that.

The point is to make sure everyone knows that everyone is contributing. Paying tax. The US used to have a concept of "barn-raising" where neighbors got together to help each other build a barn, or similar that one man wasn't an effective unit for. The purpose of the open tax returns is so everyone can see who does not come to the barn-raisings and still expect their neighbors to raise their barn.

[Sunseeker]

The general data yes. It doesn't have to name specific names, just generally specify that you had X income from investments, Y income from a job; but the specific investment or job doesn't need to be mentioned. Just the amounts that are taxed at different rates. It shouldn't include where you made specific purchases, who you paid specific expenses to, or to whom you made specific donations.

Persons or organizations with a vested interest (which they would need to demonstrate, not just claim) should be able to request more detailed information.

Even if our tax code is shitty and full of loopholes, if you're following our convoluted rules I don't really care what your tax report says and I think the obsession over political officials taxes is silly. If I don't like what I'm seeing a certain group of people doing or taking advantage of in our tax code, I would seek to have the tax code changed (and a bridge built to the moon), not seek to punish them for their legal, if distasteful actions.

Tax returns unfortunately will not contain a lot of tax information, such as local sales tax paid, fees and other such things, which can be reported to get money back on taxes, but few common people do. I don't think taxes should be public as a matter of judging if people are "contributing enough" to society, but should be a matter of public record, much like many other forms of government documents. I'd even be okay with say, a 5-year delay on their release.

[Celista]

But it reminds me of CEO salaries in the US. At one time CEOs in the US made reasonable salaries. What happened? Forbes magazine started publishing CEO salaries, they have to make their salaries public because they are publically held. This list made all the CEOs hyper competitive, "Why does he make more than I do, I have twice the responsibility. I should make twice as much as him!" And CEO salaries have been increasing ever since.

I don't think the two are related. Perhaps, more due to US culture surrounding business practices...for whatever reason, we view CEO salaries as justified, or we don't care enough about the issue to do anything about it. I suspect a lot of it has to do with the myth that higher income is necessarily tied to skill/effort, when that is not necessarily the case.

Personally I view CEO salaries as completely unjustified.

I think transparency in income is a good thing, you can use that information to negotiate a raise at your place of employment. If Sally in your department is making twice the pay you are, slacks off most of the time and has been working there half the time you have, wouldn't you want to know about it?

[rayden54]

No "or". If you have 150 million $ and pay 0 $ tax, it means you are a mooch and freeloader.

Uh no.

That person who made $150 million and retired has already paid their tax. In the US at least, they'd even pay more than someone who made $150 million over several years thanks to the skewed tax brackets.

I think transparency in income is a good thing, you can use that information to negotiate a raise at your place of employment. If Sally in your department is making twice the pay you are, slacks off most of the time and has been working there half the time you have, wouldn't you want to know about it?

The problem is it gives you transparency in income without context. For all you know Sally in your department does something to earn that money that you don't know about. Yet, because you've got her tax records you think you've got the right to pass judgement on her.

[Celista]

The problem is it gives you transparency in income without context. For all you know Sally in your department does something to earn that money that you don't know about. Yet, because you've got her tax records you think you've got the right to pass judgement on her.

But what if she doesn't? It happens all of the time, for various reasons. The point was, more information = more leverage in negotiations, not that everyone is guaranteed egalitarian pay.

[Underverse]

Yeah sure why not, I have nothing to hide.

[Grim Retailer]

Uh no.

That person who made $150 million and retired has already paid their tax. In the US at least, they'd even pay more than someone who made $150 million over several years thanks to the skewed tax brackets.

You've got to pay taxes every year.

[In Ogres We Trust]

You've got to pay taxes every year.

Only on earned income, so in the presented scenario, he or she would be paying tax on the interest from his or her accounts. Regardless, I find the policy in question to be a severe breach of decorum and privacy.