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I was recently called to jury duty and selected for a panel, but didn't get picked for trial. Long story short, an artist was suing his client for breach of an oral contract. He supposedly provided paintings for this guy under the premise he was to receive tangible goods instead of monetary payment, but with no written record of it. Apparently something went south and the lawsuit took place, etc, etc. Not sure what the verdict was.
During the paneling a detailed discussion about this "artist lifestyle" came up between the attorney and one of the panel members. Painters, sculpters, musicians, photographers, interior/exterior designers and other 'artsy' freelance professionals many times work for tangible goods as payment, not money. (They also said this way of life has been around as long as history.)
I never thought about it much past that, but the discussion came up with an older gentleman and myself. His explanation was working for gifts with no written records instead of money was the way these folks can live high on the hog while evading income taxes. In essence they are collecting a tax-free income while collecting food stamps/govt money/welfare/benefits/etc. And 100% of them will vote liberal to push for better govt benefits for themselves + higher income taxes for everyone else.
So what do you think about this? Is there any truth to this 'mooching tax evader' claim? I couldn't refute it, but it seems to make sense. Being one of these ignorant engineering/math/construction mgmt type of guys I don't really know anything about it, but would love to know more. That is, if it's a topic open for discussion. You know how that goes sometimes......
I think it's a stretch to assume these people are a) living high on the hog, b) deliberately choosing to evade taxes, and c) liberals hellbent on screwing everybody else by pushing for more freebies.
Seems to me the motivation here is to find another group of people to demonize because they might possibly have found a way to surpass a level of greed and selfishness not imagined before.
Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with bartering services but I seriously doubt there are whole industries and professionals who do it just to upset people.
Artists don't live "high on the hog" -- all but less than a fraction of one percent of them live in near poverty, unless they have revenue streams that are independent from their art.
I was recently called to jury duty and selected for a panel, but didn't get picked for trial. Long story short, an artist was suing his client for breach of an oral contract. He supposedly provided paintings for this guy under the premise he was to receive tangible goods instead of monetary payment, but with no written record of it. Apparently something went south and the lawsuit took place, etc, etc. Not sure what the verdict was.
During the paneling a detailed discussion about this "artist lifestyle" came up between the attorney and one of the panel members. Painters, sculpters, musicians, photographers, interior/exterior designers and other 'artsy' freelance professionals many times work for tangible goods as payment, not money. (They also said this way of life has been around as long as history.)
I never thought about it much past that, but the discussion came up with an older gentleman and myself. His explanation was working for gifts with no written records instead of money was the way these folks can live high on the hog while evading income taxes. In essence they are collecting a tax-free income while collecting food stamps/govt money/welfare/benefits/etc. And 100% of them will vote liberal to push for better govt benefits for themselves + higher income taxes for everyone else.
So what do you think about this? Is there any truth to this 'mooching tax evader' claim? I couldn't refute it, but it seems to make sense. Being one of these ignorant engineering/math/construction mgmt type of guys I don't really know anything about it, but would love to know more. That is, if it's a topic open for discussion. You know how that goes sometimes......
The IRS could be the "artists" next problem.
This was taxable income.
Of course, it would likely be a wash with his deductions.
I was recently called to jury duty and selected for a panel, but didn't get picked for trial. Long story short, an artist was suing his client for breach of an oral contract. He supposedly provided paintings for this guy under the premise he was to receive tangible goods instead of monetary payment, but with no written record of it. Apparently something went south and the lawsuit took place, etc, etc. Not sure what the verdict was.
During the paneling a detailed discussion about this "artist lifestyle" came up between the attorney and one of the panel members. Painters, sculpters, musicians, photographers, interior/exterior designers and other 'artsy' freelance professionals many times work for tangible goods as payment, not money. (They also said this way of life has been around as long as history.)
I never thought about it much past that, but the discussion came up with an older gentleman and myself. His explanation was working for gifts with no written records instead of money was the way these folks can live high on the hog while evading income taxes. In essence they are collecting a tax-free income while collecting food stamps/govt money/welfare/benefits/etc. And 100% of them will vote liberal to push for better govt benefits for themselves + higher income taxes for everyone else.
So what do you think about this? Is there any truth to this 'mooching tax evader' claim? I couldn't refute it, but it seems to make sense. Being one of these ignorant engineering/math/construction mgmt type of guys I don't really know anything about it, but would love to know more. That is, if it's a topic open for discussion. You know how that goes sometimes......
This IS tax evasion. Trading services that have a monetary value and not reporting the income is cheating. This guy should be audited.
I prefer to substitute "artists" with "farmer," not that it matters.
Heaven help this, and all other countries, when we have gotten so used to reaching into peoples pockets, that a little farmer who tends to his homestead and peacefully trades with other little farmers through a process of barter such that they help each other out by trading in the things each farmer is respectively good at; and for doing this we make these men out to be Al F-ing Capone for having the audacity to not keep extensive, 1000 page/yearly bureaucratic ledger books detailing each and every single time one guy gives another guy some eggs in return for some homemade soap and homemade canned vegetables for storage. Get bent.
I prefer to substitute "artists" with "farmer," not that it matters.
It might, being you can't exactly survive by eating art.
Would it change the story if I said the "tangible good" at the center of this lawsuit was a yacht? What if the artist was dressed in a fancy Italian suit, had a home in Houston and in eastern Europe, and was represented by a high profile attorney? Because that was actually the case...
Who knew? Al Capone and Julia Roberts. CRIME TEAM.
Tax evasion IS why Capone went to prison.
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You know how that goes sometimes......
