Today is, historically, the end of the Tax Year in the United States, and a day that many people fear and procrastinate about. (Me, I just pay in too much all year and cash it out in February, because I’m too irresponsible for a real savings account.) As for the man with the widow’s peak above, I’m pretty sure that Superman’s lack of a social security number or legal identification (not to mention his public status as an alien) would probably render him immune to United States taxation…
Today’s MS-QOTD (pronounced “Throatwobbler Mangrove”) is this: Who is more likely to cheat on their taxes: Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark?
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Bruce Wayne as Batman is more likely to cheat on his taxes. He supposedly finances his vigilante activities through hidden accounts and slush funds that are separated from his civilian identity in a manner that would be an IRS Auditor’s nightmare.
Iron Man doesn’t have a secret identity and is thus more financially transparent, simply paying out of pocket and giving auditors a different sort of nightmare trying to figure out whatever weird deductions he might claim.
See, now I would say it is precisely Because Bruce Wayne is so concerned with maintaining his secret identity as Batman that he Would Not cheat on his taxes. Keeping in mind that we’re talking about Bruce Wayne’s expenses here, and not Batman’s (which I don’t even know how the government would start to tax), the last thing he would want to do is give the IRS a reason to snoop through his financial history, and risk exposing or encumbering his activities as Batman.
Tony Stark on the other hand, as opposed to Bruce Wayne who only pretends to be financially irresponsible, has had a history of poor financial decisions and more direct funneling of company funds to what used to be his secret activities as Iron Man. To me, he seems like the one who would find himself with reasons to cheat on his taxes more often, and has the sort of personality (I don’t want to use the word “arrogance”, but I think it applies) that would fit one who lies about his finances.
Bruce Wayne wouldn’t cheat on his taxes. Shush, above, forgets that Wayne has a pathological hatred of crime and criminals, and although he is able to justify beating the bejesus out of bad guys as needed, as necessary for the greater good, even though vigilanteism is technically illegal, I don’t think he’d stray so far from the light as to deliberately cheat on his taxes.
Tony Stark, on the other hand, has always been a self-centered egotist who runs roughshod over his business partners, friends, and just about anybody else in sight. If Stark thought it would be funny or to his advantage to cheat on his taxes – and publicly gloat about doing so – he’d do it in a heartbeat. He’s the sort of industrialist who would send all his production overseas, throwing thousands of Americans out of work, and then go down to the soup kitchen and taunt his ex-employees by shouting “Get A Job” at them.
I disagree.
Batman doesn’t care about civil law or the federal government, as shown in comics such as No Man’s Land. Batman cares about moral law in a very Wrath of God, Old Testament kind of way.
Shall not Kill (unless its Darkseid), check.
Honor thy Father and Mother (unless Black Hand has doctored the photos), double check.
Batman is not so much about the forgiving, render unto Caesar New Testament stuff…
As for Tony, apparently he has the world of finances all figured out now, at least based on Avengers: Saving the Day #1
lol…
the drunk.
Stark, he has the mentality that he is untouchable in most portrayals I’ve seen. That usually leads to tax fraud if you have the money.
Tony Stark is a drunk, therefore he cheats on his taxes because he thinks he can get away with it. Just like flying in a suit of armor while drunk.
Plus, taxes are better with Batman…
I still maintain that Batman would be more likely to cheat on his taxes over Tony Stark.
To elaborate on my previous comments, let’s look at this a little more closely. Now, first, it goes without saying that both are ridiculously wealthy men; billions of dollars, heads of technology companies., and all that. Now, as such, neither of them probably do their taxes themselves. They have accountants for that.
Now, some people have touted that Tony Stark is a jerk (or jackwagon ) or drunk enough to screw around with his taxes on purpose. Now, this sentiment doesn’t sit right with how I perceive the situation. First, there’s the aforementioned accountants. Even discounting them we must remember what Tony Stark’s primary business is: Making weapons. Tony Stark probably also makes toasters and cars and probably a whole lot of other things as well, but let’s focus on what he’s most famous for and that’s weapons. Who does he sell weapons to? Governments. Given that he probably makes most of his money from government contracts, it’d be rather disingenuous of him to jerk around that same government by lying on his taxes.
Now we consider Bruce Wayne. Also a however-much-money-he-needs-anaire, he no doubt has has an army of accountants. And they keep his personal finances squeaky clean. However! He is also secretly Batman. The keyword there is ‘secretly’. To maintain his secret identity, he has to take efforts to separate himself from his alterego. (It doesn’t matter which one you consider the alter ego.) And this separation has to continue with special regard to paper-trails. If Bruce Wayne is funding his entire operation out of his pocket, I doubt he lists his purchases of batmobiles and batplanes under his expenditures. Since he is neglecting to mention large purchases as his own, which are likely to have some form of tax or other -sales tax, importing tariffs, or what have you- associated with them, he is lying on his taxes!
By stint of having a secret identity Batman HAS TO lie on his taxes. Now, maybe he still PAYS the taxes somehow, under a different name perhaps (Batman Inc.! ), as that would be the moral thing to do, but unless those taxes are filed under his legal name i.e. Bruce Wayne, he is lying on his taxes.
I agree with this and your previous point.
Yes, but in Batman, Inc. Bruce Wayne came out and announced he was financing Batman, Inc. Therefore removing any reason for lying on his taxes. ;)
I am undone!
Taxes really are more awesome with Batman.
Taxing the Top 01%…blah-blah-blah…left-wing sensibilities…blah-blah-blah…Obamacare…blah-blah-blah…fear the Muslims…blah-blah-blah…right-wing conservatives and God…blah-blah-blah…blacks get/don’t get special privileges…blah-blah-blah…Kardashians…blah-blah-blah…You’re all going to Hell.
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