OnPoint by Keith Ng

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OnPoint: P is for Potential

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  • Rich of Observationz,

    Hayley Westenra and the Bish are caning the upside down b? Must have missed that one...

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Genius. Brownlee really is shaping up as our own Sarah Palin, isn't he. If someone published his mindfart (sent up beautifully by Keith, further fisked elsewhere) verbatim, many rational foreigners would naturally think it was satire.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    No need to see a doctor we have a special Island for people like you....

    YAY!

    When does the plane leave?

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Between 2000 and 2009 he made profits of $4.6 million and returned $510,000 to the Crown through GST on what he spent on prostitutes.

    (pulls out handy divide by nine calculator) he spent it ALL on prostitutes? I'm impressed - he's been giving ASB middle management a run for their money then ....

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Bish Tamaki could franchise out a chain
    of leathery sub-urbane DesTinny houses...
    ...and Methadust Tabernackersyards!
    and of course there'll still be PE at school...

    Of course! Private Education
    Wont somebody think of the little Pe nuts,
    who live in the big House with Mrs Pe body.
    being primed for Prostitution.

    -This message has been bought to you by Positive Porn Prostitution ( PPP), in association with P Peddling Pushers- "making our product priceless since 2010" lsd.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Between 2000 and 2009 he made profits of $4.6 million and returned $510,000 to the Crown through GST on what he spent on prostitutes.

    (pulls out handy divide by nine calculator) he spent it ALL on prostitutes? I'm impressed

    I'm more impressed that the prostitutes were all fully compliant with their tax obligations, and that they registered for GST. But that's just me.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I'm more impressed that the prostitutes were all fully compliant with their tax obligations, and that they registered for GST. But that's just me.

    I recall there used to be a section on the UK IRD tax return form referring to "Professional Bodies to Whom Fees Have Been Paid" which were, apparently deductible.
    They disallowed my claim for "Miss Lolita Lustworthy, of Tooting Boadway, £1.75" in a reply that also requested my Name and Address. It seems even a taxman can have a sense of humour.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    The IRD publishes a guide to help sex workers meet their tax obligations.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Geez, they dont publish one for writers (or other artists as far as I know.)
    The true social order becomes apparent-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Stewart,

    Nah, its economics innit? Prossies would have a much more steady and taxable income stream than writers & other artists. No point going to the expense of publishng a tax-guide if it only results in a tiny dribble of tax revenue.

    <resists the urge to wrangle the word 'spurt' in there somehow...>

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Geez, they dont publish one for writers (or other artists as far as I know.)
    The true social order becomes apparent-

    No doubt they will once your profession becomes legalised.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    But but but - we've always been fringedwelling outsider ne'erdowells, right? That's why we* -along with gypsies tramps an thieves- are Not Quite Part Of Real Society Dear. Legalising us would do dire things to our creative energies...though we still have to pay taxes.

    *Naturally, I'm not including the academic writers among us.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I'm more impressed that the prostitutes were all fully compliant with their tax obligations, and that they registered for GST. But that's just me.

    And me. There's something quite good about that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I'm more impressed that the prostitutes were all fully compliant with their tax obligations, and that they registered for GST. But that's just me.

    And me. There's something quite good about that.

    Is there just?
    Let's face it, whilst this existed for ever, did anyone care about their taxes?. I mean, that just sounds sooo middle class on behalf of my friends that were happy to employ them and not care about their taxes What were you impressed about now? What? Was it wrong before it was legal?. Was it their fault it wasn't legal?. Please, It existed before the turn of the century. Get your middle class attitude over the existence of ladies of the night. Tax yourself on the sex you have, and if you can't work out how much it should be, think about sex instead of some woman who gives her all for survival. That's life. How dare one can judge or be smug, and hey,shame y'all you don't quite understand
    Jus' sayin"

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    I get the feeling I've missed something important here...?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Sofie, I believe the point was that being registered for tax is a measure that decriminalisation of sex work has succeeded, compared with the dark days when it was at least partly in the black economy. I hope that's what it was, anyway.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    Get your middle class attitude over the existence of ladies of the night.

    So it's not even a teensy bit middle class to assume they're all "ladies"?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    Late again and I'm not even at work.

    A man I know who is about to turn 60 is off down the mines again, after promising himself never again. It's pretty rough down the mines and close calls are frequent.

    The pension was never intended for his type. They tend to die before that, or be so crippled by their life of labour as to not enjoy their shortened twilight years.

    The subcontracting in major mines brings forward different pressures to get work done, and just maybe might impact on safety.

    I hope the rush for minerals will be tempered by adhering to standards, environmental and industrial.

    As for prostitutes, in the Marxist Economic model it makes perfect sense, as much as any economics make sense. That invisable hand of Adam Smith is up to no good.
    I've known some incredible and intelligent people who have worked in the industry. They're out of it now, and none the worse for it, that I can see, but we all know the headlines.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    So it's not even a teensy bit middle class to assume they're all "ladies"?

    Yep, I'll blame too much sun on the boat yesterday so shouldn't have posted that anyway, so sorry to all the middle class people and all the other ones. Still do know some prostitutes that never paid their taxes in the IRD sense, but they certainly paid a tax.

    Oh alright, I'll blame the wine, never drink white wine, but that was all there was.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Still do know some prostitutes that never paid their taxes in the IRD sense

    Hence the tongue-in-cheek comment about the fictional prostitutes being all compliant with their GST. Now that it's legal I'm sure more of them are paying their taxes, but I doubt it's anywhere near all of them.
    Moral taxes aside, they're using taxpayer-funded medical care on a regular basis (if they know what's good for them), and taking advantage of taxpayer-subsidised condoms. Why shouldn't the rest of us expect them to pay income tax too?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • JackElder,

    Now that it's legal I'm sure more of them are paying their taxes,

    It's worth pointing out here that the IRD requires you to declare all your income, not just the legal stuff. If you check the helpsheet for the IR3 income form you'll see that 'illegal income' is specifically mentioned as one use for this form. I believe the IRD is prevented from notifying the police about illegal activities (someone correct me if I'm wrong). They don't mind how you got the cash, they just want you to pay the correct taxes on it.

    Remember: they got Capone on tax evasion charges. So if you're bringing in bucketloads of cash from a drugs operation, play smart and declare the income, eh?

    Not that there's anything new about declaring income/expenses related to drugs. All those stories about Elton John spending 10 grand a week on flowers make more sense when you know that "Flowers for performer" is the standard entertainment industry accounting euphemism for money spent on drugs. Hey, if you're spending 10k a week, the accountant's got to write it down somewhere.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    All those stories about Elton John spending 10 grand a week on flowers make more sense when you know that "Flowers for performer" is the standard entertainment industry accounting euphemism for money spent on drugs.

    And for those who have the money, but aren't necessarily users, drugs must surely offer the most lucrative return of any short-term investment. That said, it has to be Rupert Murdoch's deeply-held moral convictions that cause his media empire to go into overdrive whenever the possibility of drug-law liberalisation rears its uppity head.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    It's worth pointing out here that the IRD requires you to declare all your income, not just the legal stuff. If you check the helpsheet for the IR3 income form you'll see that 'illegal income' is specifically mentioned as one use for this form. I believe the IRD is prevented from notifying the police about illegal activities (someone correct me if I'm wrong). They don't mind how you got the cash, they just want you to pay the correct taxes on it.

    Yes, I know that the IRD just wants their share, but that doesn't mean that people whose money comes from less-than-legal sources are all lining up to pay their taxes. The IRD has an entire department dedicated to "vice" income.

    And you're right about the information sharing. The Tax Administration Act makes it a criminal offence to release information about a taxpayer's affairs except to their tax agent, for the purposes of determining benefit eligibility, or for enforcement of a couple of cross-border agreements. No exemptions for tipping off the fuzz about someone's illicit income-generating activities.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I'm more impressed that the prostitutes were all fully compliant with their tax obligations, and that they registered for GST.

    I left the bordello feeling a little cheated, I felt like I needed 12.5% more.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Prossies would have a much more steady and taxable income stream than writers & other artists.

    So I take it 'prossies' isn't sort for 'prosodists'

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

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