The big news in taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. this week is not the story that Republicans have modified House rules to make it easier to enact tax cuts, nor the story about billionaire Roger Milliken avoiding the estate taxAn estate tax is imposed on the net value of an individual’s taxable estate, after any exclusions or credits, at the time of death. The tax is paid by the estate itself before assets are distributed to heirs. by dying on December 30, it is the report that the Romanian government has designated witches, astrologers, and fortune tellers as formal “professions” and thus, these groups must now declare their incomes and pay the 16% flat taxAn income tax is referred to as a “flat tax” when all taxable income is subject to the same tax rate, regardless of income level or assets. .
While the government has justified the move as a means of cracking down on tax evasion, many witches have retaliated by putting hexes on government officials.
According to today’s story in Tax-News.com:
Romania is a country where ancient superstitions have survived into the modern day, perhaps more than in other European countries. But many witches are complaining that their income is so meagre, it is hardly worth taxing. Some are so angered by Basescu’s government that they have taken to throwing poisonous plant-based concoctions into the River Danube and are threatening to cast spells on the lawmakers who voted the law through. Others, however, have welcomed official recognition of their craft by the government after years of prejudice.
I wonder what their crystal ball would tell us about the prospects of tax reform in the U.S.?
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