why do people agree to pay taxes?

[Tsquared]

If a digital currency replaced a fiat currency, wouldn't it then in fact be fiat?

TT

[kjj]

If a digital currency replaced a fiat currency, wouldn't it then in fact be fiat?

Depends what you mean by fiat.  The word itself means "not voluntary", but in the context of economics, it is taken to mean "a virtual (valueless) currency" because those are the currencies that people will not use by choice.

Bitcoin is new.  It is a fully virtual currency, but not one that anyone is being forced to use.  Kinda hard to call that fiat.  We need a new word to describe it.

[picolo]

If a digital currency replaced a fiat currency, wouldn't it then in fact be fiat?

TT

No because bitcoin cannot be created by a central bank.

[NotLambchop]

If a digital currency replaced a fiat currency, wouldn't it then in fact be fiat?

Depends what you mean by fiat.  The word itself means "not voluntary", but in the context of economics, it is taken to mean "a virtual (valueless) currency" because those are the currencies that people will not use by choice.

Bitcoin is new.  It is a fully virtual currency, but not one that anyone is being forced to use.  Kinda hard to call that fiat.  We need a new word to describe it.

Fiat: A Latin word meaning “let it be done”
Currencies can be classified into two monetary systems: fiat money and commodity money.--wikip
"Fiat money" is money that's not backed by a physical commodity, e.g. precious metals.  It is typically backed by governments,

Bitcoin's not backed by physical commodities.  Nor is it backed by governments, so yah, it's sorta hard to call it fiat.
Or "currency," for that matter

[Gyfts]

You are using an established system. Everyone uses the government's system in one way or another. So you have to pay for that in a way.

Right. It would not be fair for the government to provide you with something and for you to not have to pay for it

Well,government build many infrastructure,so the people can use it
I think it's pretty normal for us to pay taxes

We don't need the government to provide a service that will end up being of poor quality and high price

That's a snap judgement. It's very easy to undermine what the government has done for a country. Taking the US for example, roads, public schooling, Emergency services, ect. are a key for society to develop and remain healthy. The government's job is to moderate and regulate. Despite looking at it from a conservative or liberal standpoint, their job is always to remain neutral. Whether or not they do a good job is beyond me, however, paying them to maintain things is how it works. In terms of the price, I'd say it's pretty cheap to pay taxes and allow yourself and your children to have a virtually free high school education and access to emergency services.

[Madness]

why is it ok for a group of people calling themselves the government to force everyone to buy their services?
if enough armed people refused to pay and told the government to go fuck itself there is nothing they could do.

"Armed people" , mmm ... so there will be a lot of blood to get freedom . I don't think it's a necessary sacrifice .
Beside you have BTC , so they will never know what you really have , do they ? that's the beauty of BTC

[picolo]

why is it ok for a group of people calling themselves the government to force everyone to buy their services?
if enough armed people refused to pay and told the government to go fuck itself there is nothing they could do.

"Armed people" , mmm ... so there will be a lot of blood to get freedom . I don't think it's a necessary sacrifice .
Beside you have BTC , so they will never know what you really have , do they ? that's the beauty of BTC

Coercision is evil.

[Erdogan]

Heard about saxation, and do you agree it is fair?

Aiden Gregg and Jeff Berwick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL_6rC3A4sU

[rikrikrik]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

[picolo]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

Hardware equipement is close to a free market and it is why the prices are going down, if computers were made by a public company they would not exist or there would only be one very expensive computer of very poor quality.

[Poolie]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

There's nothing wrong with taxes if they're spent right, but some people feel like taxes are theft if they don't agree to pay them or what they're actually spent on. The examples you give aren't really valid either. There are alternative ways of building society voluntarily and you don't have to be a naturist hippie if you simply don't want to be forced to pay taxes. You should have the choice.

[hashman]

Once again folks, "tax" is a word which means payment.  A governing body runs a restaurant, an owner, manager, and their govorning structure.  If you eat there you will be presented with a tariff, tax, bill, check, list of damages.  etc.  If you choose to pay or not depends on if you are happy with the goods and services you received there. 

I'm not sure what's so complicated about this arrangement that you are arguing about. 

If there is a specific company / organization / corporation and you are asking about why we pay them, please name it,  Otherwise this entire thread is nonsense.     

[Erdogan]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

All of that can be done voluntarily - except the protection money part: That is taxation.

[Erdogan]

It is kind of nonsense, because taxes are payments you don't agree with - hence the question is absurd. Politicians love that, by the way.

[deluxeCITY]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

All of that can be done voluntarily - except the protection money part: That is taxation.

The problem is that most people are not willing to voluntarily pay for things that is necessary to protect them. They however tend to expect for such services to be provided

[zimmah]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

All of that can be done voluntarily - except the protection money part: That is taxation.

The problem is that most people are not willing to voluntarily pay for things that is necessary to protect them. They however tend to expect for such services to be provided

if by protection you mean the army, i could care less about who claims ownership of the land my house is build on. In my opinion the soil does not belong to any human.

[Erdogan]

whats so wrong with taxes? i assume most of you have a computer in front of you, the people who build and designed the computers had educations paid for by government taxes, the government pays for the internet backbones in there country. if you dont want to be apart of civilization then go get a block of wood and go waterworld it, but no mater what ends up happening you will end up paying someone a tax of some sort(protection money, the fees for exchanging gold into oranges ) your just someone who is only reading half a book

All of that can be done voluntarily - except the protection money part: That is taxation.

The problem is that most people are not willing to voluntarily pay for things that is necessary to protect them. They however tend to expect for such services to be provided

if by protection you mean the army, i could care less about who claims ownership of the land my house is build on. In my opinion the soil does not belong to any human.

I mean protection from the protectors. Just like the mafia.

[teukon]

The problem is that most people are not willing to voluntarily pay for things that is necessary to protect them. They however tend to expect for such services to be provided

Is this really a problem?

• Is it a problem if a person expects to get food from a shop but is not willing to pay for it?
• Is it a problem if a person expects me to be friendly to him but is not willing to be friendly in return?

I'd say not only is this not a problem, but that even considering this a problem is itself a problem.  As an evil capitalist I believe that:

• the shopkeeper should not feel pressure to give their food away for free because the food is expected.
• I should not feel pressure to continue a friendship with someone that treats me like dirt just because this person expects friendship.

And further, a person should not feel the need to pay taxes just because the net beneficiaries of taxation expect it.

[NotLambchop]

...
And further, a person should not feel the need to pay taxes just because the net beneficiaries of taxation expect it.

How about you'll pay taxes because the jackbooted gubermint thugs (which my taxes pay for) will pwn ur ass if you don't?
See?  It's just like the libertard utopia--muh own private army (which I & my buddies kicked in for) doing my bidding & protecting us from freeloaders like yourself.
Don't like it?  Start your own army & see how that goes

[deluxeCITY]

The problem is that most people are not willing to voluntarily pay for things that is necessary to protect them. They however tend to expect for such services to be provided

Is this really a problem?

• Is it a problem if a person expects to get food from a shop but is not willing to pay for it?
• Is it a problem if a person expects me to be friendly to him but is not willing to be friendly in return?

I'd say not only is this not a problem, but that even considering this a problem is itself a problem.  As an evil capitalist I believe that:

• the shopkeeper should not feel pressure to give their food away for free because the food is expected.
• I should not feel pressure to continue a friendship with someone that treats me like dirt just because this person expects friendship.

And further, a person should not feel the need to pay taxes just because the net beneficiaries of taxation expect it.

My point is that people do not want to pay for things like national security, food safety, roads, and consumer protection services, ect. voluntarily. Collecting taxes is the only way to pay for these things.

In your example, the shopkeeper should give a portion of his earnings to the government in return for protection from robberies (via the police force and the threat of jail via the legal system), and for the roads that his customers use in order to travel to his shop.