I think if they only advertised the post-tax number, there wouldn’t really be a problem. Like, “hey, the jackpot is some amount, and after tax you could win 400 million”—that would be fine. As it is, they’re kinda just building resentment for taxes in general by making your final winnings seem so disappointing, even though it’s still 400 million.
Hey, now. We don’t want to charge business taxes! That’s anti-business! We’re anti- people in this country. Businesses are tax exempt because they’re the real citizens. Those gross, floppy pEoPlE are what we use to make money for businesses!
Not taxing the winnings at all, or just taxing them before they get into the pot, might be the easiest solution, I guess. My only contention with that is, well, now we’re just edging into the fact that I don’t really like lotteries. Certainly not on this scale.
And its not like it is business profit, unless you can put the tickets you buy as business expenses. To me, it is in the same category as gifts. Should not be taxed.
I think if they only advertised the post-tax number, there wouldn’t really be a problem. Like, “hey, the jackpot is some amount, and after tax you could win 400 million”—that would be fine. As it is, they’re kinda just building resentment for taxes in general by making your final winnings seem so disappointing, even though it’s still 400 million.
It’s always on the consumer to pay all taxes for some reason. Even with sales tax. I didn’t make a sale why am I the one paying the tax?
Hey, now. We don’t want to charge business taxes! That’s anti-business! We’re anti- people in this country. Businesses are tax exempt because they’re the real citizens. Those gross, floppy pEoPlE are what we use to make money for businesses!
God, I hate sales tax. “This thing is $1.99? No it isn’t.”
But the amount is also variable as it’s not a lump sum…
If you take lump sum and not the 30 year annuity, you take about a 50% hair cut off the prize money alone.
Hmm…
I mean, they could advertise the 30-year annuity as a separate number, then. There are still ways to make this work. I’m just saying, not framing taxes as if they were a punishment would make the whole thing much less annoying.
Not taxing the winnings at all, or just taxing them before they get into the pot, might be the easiest solution, I guess. My only contention with that is, well, now we’re just edging into the fact that I don’t really like lotteries. Certainly not on this scale.
And its not like it is business profit, unless you can put the tickets you buy as business expenses. To me, it is in the same category as gifts. Should not be taxed.