Taxes and Banderlog: American laws and our mentality

Businessman, restaurateur and radio host Roman Trach are thinking about laws and taxation in the United States, as well as the peculiarities of the mentality of immigrants from the former USSR.

It just so happened historically that a person born in the USSR, on a subconscious level, does not understand what taxes are and, most importantly, why pay them? A person, who was born in the USSR and “survived” in the 90s, does not see an understanding of what the law is and why it should be respected and adhered to. After all, as in the homeland they say: if it is impossible, but it is very necessary, then it is possible.

Of course, I cannot make a complete and professional analysis of the US taxation system, but I will try to compare plus or minus with the system of my homeland.

I am in America for almost three months, I flew in from Ukraine, an entrepreneur, a restaurateur and a radio host. Let's start-c.

When it doesn’t matter when it’s at your enterprise, somewhere near Zhmerinka or in Kiev, the tax inspector came. From the obligatory attributes: a leather folder or a briefcase, an excellent expensive perfume, a light alcoholic amber yesterday and an obscenely expensive wristwatch. He comes to you with a check (two go). Aunt-accountant, who looks like a tortoise Tortilla, abruptly comes out of a state of lethargic sleep, comes to life. Begins to drink "Corvalol", in special cases depicts loss of consciousness, but almost never works.

A business owner, as a rule, simply falls into suspended animation, his eyes are filled with that universal pity that only a cat from the cartoon "Shrek" is capable of. In rare cases, more active and young representatives of the entrepreneurial fauna begin to raise a wild roar, rush about in chaotic movement around their office, call somewhere, voice all the names that may indirectly "scare" the uninvited guest. The businessman has become like a banderlog.

But the tax man, with an invariably serene face, a cold heart and a body hot from the constant infusion of alcohol, is waiting for this “monkey” to fizzle out from the excess of his own energy and the dance begins. The dance of the boa constrictor Ka and a primate distraught with a misunderstanding of the situation. In the beginning, everything looks like an awkward pas for each separately. However, the emergence of the question "how much?" brings a certain rhythm to the movement of two.

The third participant in this action, an accountant aunt, at this time circles around, smoothly glides with some kind of papers, reports, cash books, etc., complaining aloud, but so that the boa constrictor hears “oh, I'm an old fool, how I missed it, as I overlooked ”. Her breathing becomes more even. The question hanging in the air is looking for an answer, and moreover immediately. You understand, my dear reader, we are talking exclusively about the amount and the number of zeros. The number of zeros in the sum depends on the degree of Tortilla's "provocation", moreover, the question is not about the fine - of course, it will be written out, sometimes minimal. This is about the amount of the bribe, and, as the victim already guessed, bargaining is appropriate, but futile. When the figure is voiced, the method of transferring the bribe is agreed (the method is a separate topic) - the dance stops.

The final part begins. Ka and Banderlog drink bitter - each has a reason and a certain joy. The first one thinks: “Well, the plan has been made, and there is something to convey to the top, and he did not offend himself, great day!”. The second, without eating and looking at the icon in the corner of the office: “Phew, what a freak! Thank you, Lord, for taking the money. I’ll earn more. What a day! ”. Both have loosened their ties, unbuttoned the top button of their shirt, both digest the essence of this dance, and its essence is inevitability. The curtain!

USA. City, state, number of employees, turnover of the company - matters. Each state has its own rules of the game, nuances, there are even different amounts of taxes, floating and fixed rates, and yet, there are common features for the whole country.

When I tried to understand all these terabytes of information, my operating system began to falter, but that's where it came. The easiest way is to hire a specialized company that will do everything as it should, even if there is some mistake, this is not your problem, most likely you will not even know about it, since everything will be fixed by a hired office, which costs a lot of money. Yes, it is expensive, very expensive!

But here the same rules of competition work. Kontor a lot, and no one is interested in screwing up. Yes, there are guys who can and know how to pay taxes less in different ways, write off more to expenses, etc., but this is all in the legal field and this is a separate topic. Naturally, you can try to do everything yourself, but in a country where time = money, this, believe me, is unwise. Everyone does their own thing.

And further. Imagine, no, well, just imagine - the tax authorities in the USA don't go anywhere! All actions between you and the tax office are carried out through the mail, there are clear dates by which you must submit everything, pay, report. You are an entrepreneur, one of the pillars of this state, you “dance” with clients, live in a competitive environment, create a product, and give a job. Business in America has no natural enemies, they are not created artificially, everything is regulated, tough, but understandable.

Ka and the Banderlog live here on the pages of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, which, unfortunately, I cannot say about my homeland. I can't yet) I am an optimist, which is what I sincerely wish you!