From: Billy Brown (bbrown@transcient.com)
Date: Tue Mar 07 2000 - 12:02:22 MST
Michael S. Lorrey wrote:
> I suggest you look over this page and its linked pages before you
> make such a
> conclusion.
> http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/barter.html
>
> The whole problem with taxing barter exchanges is the presumption that the
> government has a right to part of your property, which is clearly
> unconstitutional. The government has a right to tax transactions
> involving money because the money is a security instrument of the
government.
ROFL!
Michael, if constitutionality actually mattered most of the government would
be shut down tomorrow. The sad fact is that the government disagrees with
your position, and the courts will back them up. If the IRS decides to tax
downloaded MP3 files as income at the retail price of the equivalent CDs,
they can, and no amount of argument on your part will convince either them
or the courts not to let it happen. So, your only protection is your skill
at not getting caught - whether money ever changed hands is entirely
irrelevant to the issue.
Billy Brown
bbrown@transcient.com
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