This is purely for fun. I read a ton of new articles doing research for my blog. Every now and then I need a break from all the serious stuff. When I ran across the articles mentioned below I couldn't resist trying to have some fun with them. So, below is a draft of an off topic entertainment only article I plan to run on my blog at some point. I can't think of really good title yet so all suggestions are appreciated. 
Title ?
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Every now and then I need a little break from all the serious news articles I wade through trying to find relevant and useful articles to use here. So here it is. I thought I had seen just about everything reading all these articles, but no.
We now have a serious debate underway over whether or not Robots should pay income taxes. I am not kidding.
Bill Gates (Yes) - http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/17/bill-gates-job-stealing-robots-should-pay-income-taxes.html
Yanis Varoufakis (No) - https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/bill-gates-tax-on-robots-by-yanis-varoufakis-2017-02
To be honest, there are actually some interesting points made in these articles. But it's hard to read these headlines with a straight face when you see them. My daughter is worried enough about finding a job when she graduates later this year. Now we learn she may have to compete with Robots who will pay income taxes (and have no student loans to pay off).
A question arises in my mind. Will Robots be able to hire tax accountants to do their taxes for them and look for loopholes? Or, since they are robots, maybe they already know how to do that themselves.
Even more questions come to mind
Will Robots get the personal exemption?
Will Robots get a Social Security Number?
For that matter, are they subject to payroll taxes (Medicare and SS)
What about Robots used by IRS approved 501-C-3 charities? Are they tax exempt?
Will Robots be eligible for health care benefits (for maintenance)? If so, will those benefits be taxed?
Will lower income Robots be eligible for refundable tax credits?
Can Robots be audited?
What if a Robot does not file an income tax return? (Can Robots be tax protestors?)
What happens if angry mobs of Robots finally turn on the IRS in frustration and launch an assault on IRS headquarters? Is this how civilization as we know it ends?
There has to be a book or movie somewhere in all this.
Title ?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every now and then I need a little break from all the serious news articles I wade through trying to find relevant and useful articles to use here. So here it is. I thought I had seen just about everything reading all these articles, but no.
We now have a serious debate underway over whether or not Robots should pay income taxes. I am not kidding.
Bill Gates (Yes) - http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/17/bill-gates-job-stealing-robots-should-pay-income-taxes.html
Yanis Varoufakis (No) - https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/bill-gates-tax-on-robots-by-yanis-varoufakis-2017-02
To be honest, there are actually some interesting points made in these articles. But it's hard to read these headlines with a straight face when you see them. My daughter is worried enough about finding a job when she graduates later this year. Now we learn she may have to compete with Robots who will pay income taxes (and have no student loans to pay off).
A question arises in my mind. Will Robots be able to hire tax accountants to do their taxes for them and look for loopholes? Or, since they are robots, maybe they already know how to do that themselves.
Even more questions come to mind
Will Robots get the personal exemption?
Will Robots get a Social Security Number?
For that matter, are they subject to payroll taxes (Medicare and SS)
What about Robots used by IRS approved 501-C-3 charities? Are they tax exempt?
Will Robots be eligible for health care benefits (for maintenance)? If so, will those benefits be taxed?
Will lower income Robots be eligible for refundable tax credits?
Can Robots be audited?
What if a Robot does not file an income tax return? (Can Robots be tax protestors?)
What happens if angry mobs of Robots finally turn on the IRS in frustration and launch an assault on IRS headquarters? Is this how civilization as we know it ends?
There has to be a book or movie somewhere in all this.
