At 11:53 PM 5/4/2003 +0100, Adam Back wrote:
- Another potential and probably more likely to happen medium term technology could be improvements in display technology making telepresence more functional. 3d projective displays able to project into free-space for example allowing basically free-form tele-presence.
It would be harder for governments to attempt to tax remote workers,
but they might try it anyway by passing the tax burden on to the employers -- forcing them to collect local taxes against remote workers.
Another corporate trend to avoid US taxation is where companies move
I think you will find that an increasing number of professional workers and some companies are moving underground. This has not been uncommon in some trades in which compensation was traditionally cash-based, but the addition of professionals is, I think, something of note. This article discusses the trend of decreasing voluntary tax compliance within the U.S. "Tax Inquiries Fall as Cheating Increases," David Cay Johnston, New York Times, April 14, 2003 http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations/launder/regions/2003/0414inquiries.htm their notional headquarters off-shore so that they are not taxed on international sales.
Either way the fact that companies are doing this suggests that currently companies themselves are ahead of individuals in mobility to avoid taxation.
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