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Discussion post: The informal economy

I did taxes for my family today and I feel sick about how much money I contributed to the war machine.

Detailed discussion of canadian/ontario Taxes taxes in the spoiler for people who don't care, but most of this is from a canadian perspective. Add your own in the comments or make your own post if you want to contribute!

What taxes most people pay

Here are some of the most common taxes you will pay as an individual in Canada and how the money is used.

  • Income tax: Based on your income minus deductions, has both federal and provincial portions.
  • Sales tax: Based on what you buy, has both federal and provincial portions.
  • Excise Duty: This is charged on "spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, vaping products, and cannabis products"(source). For example, in Ontario you pay 2.5% + $0.25 per gram of "flowering material"
  • Property tax: Based on municipal budget, and relative value of the property you live on versus the other properties. Together with levies and other special charges this funds municipal responsibilities such as the cops. Rates work backwards - a budget is set and tax rates come from that. An individual's share of the funding is related to their relative property value, but it gets confusing and weird to determine what you are paying if you rent from a purpose built rental because your portion of taxes is included in your rent price. (Fuck landlords, btw.)

Canada/Ontario Specifics

Okay, so what do we do about it?

I was hoping we could have some discussion about ways we can do what we need to do outside of the formal economy. As always please remember:

  • The internet isn't an anon as you think it is
  • This is a vegan instance, keep it vegan.
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