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Mistake costs dishwasher $59,000

Discussion in 'Serious' started by Cthippo, 28 Sep 2007.

  1. Cthippo

    Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

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    Original story

    Seems to me this is exactly the kind of person we want coming to the US to work.
     
  2. lex90

    lex90 Minimodder

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    a prime example of how ****ed up america is.
     
  3. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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    Next time he'll come back with a gun and a bomb and I probably won't mind that much.
     
  4. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    Hm... interesting take on it. And I can't say that I really disagree, which just goes to show how obsessive and petty our (US) society is.
     
  5. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    So he went to a country illegally, probably didn't pay any tax the entire time and failed to abide by the law and declare he was leaving with >10k worth of cash.

    Why are people surprised? Hard working - sure, I don't doubt that, but the system is there for a reason.
     
  6. RTT

    RTT #parp

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    My thoughts entirely :)
     
  7. Washfordmonkey

    Washfordmonkey What's a Dremel?

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    isnt it upto the employer to deal with taxes?
    unless hes self employed?

    surely he could pay tax on that amount.... (which wouldnt total 10 grand surely?)
    and take the money back.. the uk is just as bad as america...
     
  8. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    That's probably right but he has no social security number in which to be employed in the first place. If he sent the cash in small (<$10k) lumps back to his family then he'd have (more) easily got away with it. Talk about all your eggs in one basket.
     
  9. specofdust

    specofdust Banned

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    I'm torn on this one. As someone who realises tax are extortion (A neccesary evil maybe, but that's what they are) I feel sorry for this guy. I mean, he clearly worked damn hard as a dishwasher to earn that much money. Clearly the guy's idea was to work like crazy for 11 years (which he must have, to have earned that much money as a dishwasher) and then live out a nice life in his homeland.

    OTOH, he broke the law. He paid no taxes. He wanted to take money out of the US system, out of the US economy, when no-one had even said it was ok for him to be earning money within it.

    I think a relatively moderate solution would be to tax the guy on everything he earned, and fine him a little extra on top of that - but aside from that let him keep the cash. I doubt it'll happen though and I can kind of understand why. The US authorities wouldn't want the message to be "It's ok to work illegally and take money out of our economy, if you get caught you'll only have to pay tax".

    Toughie, this one is.
     
  10. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    Yep. I cry as the government rapes me for a third of my earnings every month.

    :thumb:
     
  11. specofdust

    specofdust Banned

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    For cerial? I can explain my reasoning if so :D - if not then make your sarcasm clearly god damnit!
     
  12. Washfordmonkey

    Washfordmonkey What's a Dremel?

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    the guy worked for 11 years washing dishes and earned 59,000.. that's hard graft by anyone's standards.
    they essentially blackmailed him... (take this bribe money and not talk to the press and leave the country or we'll export you and you leave with nothing)
    Why are they coming down so hard on this guy when in my opinion hes given to society by washing their dishes... and trying to earn a decent, almost honest wage. When there are others out there who are intentionally avoiding taxes (i dont believe this guy actually was), causing hassle and all sorts of mayhem. He's kept himself to himself.. and has worked hard for the money... in my eyes hes done no wrong and if they really wanted to push it.. then he should have been made to pay taxes but to be exported without any money, told that the government just shows the kind of attitude most people portray... Instantly a bloke with 59,000 on him is a drug dealer whos been smuggling... despite having the stubs for every job he has done??

    thats just plain wrong....
     
  13. specofdust

    specofdust Banned

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    He hasn't given to society. That's part of the problem. He was never even part of the society. He didn't earn what could be termed as an honest wage, since he wasn't paying tax.
     
  14. RTT

    RTT #parp

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    Oh come on. What else can you reasonably assume - if I grabbed a random Eastern European looking person in an airport departure lounge and told you he had 30 grand in his bag, would you not jump to conclusions? I would imagine most people would, and rightly so in this case.
    Anyway, RTFA - the bloke was both residing and working illegally - he took a gamble and lost out in a big way. Tough Cheddar, I'm afraid, even if he was working hard and doing a good job - he didn't contribute anything back to the society that he wasn't even a part of in the first place.

    Edit: Oh, and taxing him on it, plus a fine, plus kicking him out = fair in my book
     
  15. steveo_mcg

    steveo_mcg What's a Dremel?

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    Tax him at a fair rate, take a fine for tax avoidance, give him back what little is left and send him on his way, lock him up for a few months if you want your pound of flesh. Seems fair, he could have just dealt drugs for a few years and earned the same and done untold damage to the society as it was he just stayed on the peripheral.
     
  16. naokaji

    naokaji whatever

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    paying him 5,50$ isnt a honest wage either but much rather exploiting his situation... sorry coudnt resist.
     
  17. woof82

    woof82 What's a Dremel?

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    Hmm...

    I know this guy didn't pay income tax, but he surely payed VAT or equivalent. And he provided a service - washing dishes, so it's not like he was totally leeching. What do taxes go towards? Roads he didn't use? Education system he didn't use? Healthcare he didn't use? $59000 is pocket change to the government, but that is that man's WHOLE LIFE, how can you take that away and not feel like the biggest ******* on this planet? Obviously money isn't everything, but it meant a lot to this man.

    About the whole "he shouldn't have been doing that blah etc." argument, well, maybe he shouldn't but maybe he didn't know any better, the man didn't speak english.
     
  18. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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    I appreciate and agree with your arguement, but ignorance is not an excuse. The reality is that if you break the law you pay a price.
     
  19. specofdust

    specofdust Banned

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    Nope, he chose to put himself in that situation. He had the option to take a $5.50 wage. It wasn't exploitation.

    No, the service he provided, he got paid for. That cannot be considered something he did for the benefit of society. The fact that he paid no tax but used the services of the country does indeed make him a leech.

    Nah, the reality is if you break the law and you get caught you pay the price. Those who get away, go free :clap:
     
  20. Cthippo

    Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

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    At his tax bracket the total tax would most likley have been less than 10% of what he earned. You want to tax him at that rate, fine, that's reasonable. The bottom line, for me anyway, is he earned it, let him have it. Some say he broke the law, I say so what. His actions didn't hurt anyone, he followed the rules of the society the best he knew how, and performed a necessary job for which he was paid a pittance. You'll notice no one has suggested getting the taxes from his employer who was legally obligated to collect them.
     

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