NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm sure this has been addressed before, but it's not in the FAQs and it's not on the front couple of pages, from what I can see.

What is the point of a 100% average tax? Okay, I understand that they're trying to say that I spend way too much and so have to tax the shit out of my population. But, isn't it patently obvious that I'll raise next to NOTHING by imposing a 100% tax? People just won't bother working/conducting business. If I reduced taxes to 99%, I would increase my revenue. Really, around about 70% is as high as any reasonable nation might need to set average taxes!!!

I have the other end. I have only had a tax maybe twice in my nation's exsistence.. how am I raising revenue if I have a 0% income tax? is it all coming from sales tax?

side note which is better an all consuming economy or a frightning economy?

Orwell: The United States didn't have an interest tax until around the 1930's. Before then, the primary source of revenue was trade tariffs.

In lieu of higher taxation rates, Orientation is willing to accept kickbacks, bribes and livestock from it's citizens. Small but wiry children are also useful for clearing out storm drain and sewerage pipe blockages and keeps them off the street. Idle hands are the devil's work. :twisted:

In the mean time; even if you have a revoltingly high income tax rate, I expect you can mollify your population through compassionate social policies and incentives.

I have the other end. I have only had a tax maybe twice in my nation's exsistence.. how am I raising revenue if I have a 0% income tax? is it all coming from sales tax?

side note which is better an all consuming economy or a frightning economy?

It is Frightening.

I have the other end. I have only had a tax maybe twice in my nation's exsistence.. how am I raising revenue if I have a 0% income tax? is it all coming from sales tax?

I've always assumed that tax referred to in the national description is income tax. Beyond that, any time money or goods are moved, there can be a tax -- if you really get into things, there can even be taxes for not moving money or goods. Government can tax as it pleases (and that's why some limits on government are important).

What is the point of a 100% average tax? Okay, I understand that they're trying to say that I spend way too much and so have to tax the shit out of my population. But, isn't it patently obvious that I'll raise next to NOTHING by imposing a 100% tax? People just won't bother working/conducting business. If I reduced taxes to 99%, I would increase my revenue. Really, around about 70% is as high as any reasonable nation might need to set average taxes!!!

To quote from the FAQ:

Is it a serious political thing, or just for fun?

Well, you can play it either way. NationStates does have humorous bent, but that's just because international politics is so inherently funny.

...

Why is my nation so weird?

Everything is exaggerated a little. Well, okay, a lot. Your decisions affect your nation very strongly, so your country might seem like a more extreme version of what you were aiming for. Unless you have radical politics. In which case you probably think nothing's wrong.

My decision had unintended consequences!

Yep, that'll happen. For one thing, see "Why is my nation so weird?" above. For another, pretty much every decision you make will involve a trade-off of some kind. It's kind of an exercise in choosing the best of a bunch of bad options. You might find this frustrating, especially if you're the kind of person who thinks the solutions to all the world's problems are obvious.

What is the point of a 100% average tax? Okay, I understand that they're trying to say that I spend way too much and so have to tax the shit out of my population. But, isn't it patently obvious that I'll raise next to NOTHING by imposing a 100% tax? People just won't bother working/conducting business. If I reduced taxes to 99%, I would increase my revenue. Really, around about 70% is as high as any reasonable nation might need to set average taxes!!!

To quote from the FAQ:

Is it a serious political thing, or just for fun?

Well, you can play it either way. NationStates does have humorous bent, but that's just because international politics is so inherently funny.

...

Why is my nation so weird?

Everything is exaggerated a little. Well, okay, a lot. Your decisions affect your nation very strongly, so your country might seem like a more extreme version of what you were aiming for. Unless you have radical politics. In which case you probably think nothing's wrong.

My decision had unintended consequences!

Yep, that'll happen. For one thing, see "Why is my nation so weird?" above. For another, pretty much every decision you make will involve a trade-off of some kind. It's kind of an exercise in choosing the best of a bunch of bad options. You might find this frustrating, especially if you're the kind of person who thinks the solutions to all the world's problems are obvious.Yeah, I can accept that. I know that the sort of decisions I make are gonna make my nation either Compulsory Consumerist or Father Knows Best when at heart I'm an Inoffensive Centrist Democracy. I know the game blows things out of proportion.

I'm just saying that on this point the game is not internally consistent. Say my average tax rate was 95% for some perverse reason. Then say I responded to an issue in a way that required increased government spending. The only way to increase revenue to fund that spending, within the economic confines of this game, would be to reduce my tax rate!!!

As I mentioned the last time you asked this, the explination most people use is that their country has turned to True Communism, or collectivism, with the government providing everything for the people. Housing, clothing, food, employment, education, health care, books, toys, radios, telephones, etc.

That, or you do some creative role-playing. GMC has a 100% tax rate, and he justifies it as the government provides everything, and returns 20% of their "salaries" to the people for various luxuries (so they can go out to dinner, or buy a new computer). That way, people still have motivation to do a good job, as they receive compensation. Of course, in times of war or national emergency, that rebate goes away, giving the government an immediate increase in revenue.

Oh, and this isn't a technical question. Moved to Gameplay.

Ahh, sorry. I didn't think anyone had responded to that.

But there's nothing in the game to suggest I've adopted this Communism thing. It's just an arbitrary and senseless decision of the game based, in a roundabout way, on my expenditure decisions.

And why on earth would I tax my people the whole of their earnings then return to them an allowance? That's so inefficient - why not just not tax them that in the first place??

My people are a bunch of lazy mofos anyway. If everything's supplied for them, they'll just stop working. Luxuries are all well and good, but that's too much effort for not enough return.


And I beg to differ. It's a Technical issue because it's an absolute economic nonsense within the game and should be fixed.

To save the international community from more whining, Orientation should invade Amaranthine Asphodel. Those lazy mofos will only realise how good they had it when merciless Orientationites take away their lifestock and bend the Laffer Curve all out of shape :mrgreen:

:roll: RPers