Tag: tax

Debts, Financial Attitudes, investment, Taxation

If You Know the Tax Law, You Can Also Pay Less Tax

by Enes ÖnerLeave a Comment on If You Know the Tax Law, You Can Also Pay Less Tax

Today, being an employee in America means paying half of the labor in taxes to the state. In fact, this rate is almost the same all over the world. There are no other tax options for employees. Before the employees receive their salaries, the state receives 24% of it.

The only tax cut that the state provides to employees only makes them more into debt. So, the path to financial freedom for employees or self-employed people is much more difficult.

Accountants tell their wealthy clients that if they buy a more expensive house, they can get more tax cuts. This option makes sense for employees or self-employed people. However, employers or investors often do not heed it.

Tax Reduction May Cause Debt Increase

The income tax rate paid by employers or investors is very low. For this reason, it is much easier to increase the money earned as a company owner or investor.

Employees or self-employed people can only benefit from tax deductions by purchasing a larger house. This doesn’t give a person financial freedom. It only brings more debt.

Buying a more expensive home is not wise for employers and investors. Because for them it’s the same as saying, “Lend me a dollar and I’ll give you fifty cents back.”

World History Full of Resistance to High Taxes

America has a progressive tax system. This means that low-income people pay lower taxes and higher-income people pay higher taxes. However, the system does not work exactly like that. Millionaires and billionaires can be the least taxpayers.

The taxes collected in American history have been protested many times. There have been many rebellions against taxation. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) opposed the heavy taxes collected from the British colonies in America. Later, Shays’ Rebellion appeared in 1876, Whiskey Rebellion in 1791, and Fries’s Rebellion in 1799. The reason for all these resistances is taxes.

Not only in America but all over the world, there was resistance to taxes from time to time. There have been more than three hundred and fifty resistance, civil disobedience or uprising against taxes imposed since the 16th century.*

Baby boomers begin retiring. What will happen now?

Especially in our modern world, taxes are needed. Problems arise if taxation is not carried out successfully and the collected taxes are poorly managed.

Baby Boomers are already retiring. Within a few years, millions more of them will retire and will cease to be taxpayers and enjoy social security benefits. This will increase the financial burden of the states considerably. So, in the face of rising taxes, the rich will seek other countries where they can invest their money.

How You Earn Money Determines Your Perspective on Taxes

There was an interview with an investor in the newspaper recently. The investor made a million dollars profit and paid no taxes. Because he was able to delay his tax since the money he earned was a capital gain. He was also exempt from tax when buying and selling real estate because he only exchanged property.

A few days later, I saw elsewhere that this same investor was captioned: “He made a billion dollars and admitted he didn’t pay taxes.”

What is written in this title is actually not a lie. However, at first glance, it makes you think that the investor is evading tax. But the investor did not do anything against the tax law.

Different ways of generating income.

This is a good example of the difference in tax perspective of those who make money in different ways.

The truth is that not all income is taxed equally. Some are less taxed and some are not taxed at all.

Those who have gained financial freedom, and especially investors, are familiar with the laws regarding taxes. Thus, it is easier for them to increase their money.

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Don’t Be Afraid To Invest Your Money

by Enes Öner2 Comments on Don’t Be Afraid To Invest Your Money

Wealth Is Measured in Time Not Money

“Wealth is the number of days a person can live without physically working and maintaining her standard of living.”

Let’s say your monthly expenses are $ 1000. If you have $ 3000 in your savings account, your wealth means 3 months or 90 days. Wealth is measured in time, not money.

After all, it is not how much money you make, but how much money you can keep and how long you can increase the money. I know many people who make a lot of money every day, but most of their income goes to the spending column.

If their income increases, they consider buying a bigger house or a new car. This means long-term debt and hard work, so nothing is left for the asset column. Money runs out quickly.

“Going in Red” Shortens The Life Of The Engine

To go in red is to continue driving even though the gas gauge drops empty. This phrase is also used to describe going at full speed.

Whether rich or poor, there are many people who always “go in the red”. No matter how much they earn, they quickly spend what they get. “Going in red” shortens the life of the engine.

According to many doctors, the main cause of stress today is hard work and not making enough money. Especially some people insist that “wallet cancer” is the biggest cause of health disorders.

Money Works for You So You Don’t Have To Work

No matter how much money people make, eventually they have to use some of it to invest. Investors are more interested in making money out of money. This is also the idea that money works for you so you don’t have to work. But the important thing here is to know that there are other ways to invest.

Other Ways to Invest

People invest in their education. Traditional education is important because the better you study, the better your chances of making money. If you devote four years to college, you have the potential to earn between $ 24,000 and $ 50,000 a year or more. Considering that an ordinary person actually gives 40 years to work, studying at a four-year university or similar institution can be a very good investment.

Loyalty and diligence are also another means of investment, for example a lifetime working in a private company or a government agency. The reward for this is the retirement bonus and lifetime pension, as well as the right to various services. However, this type of investment, which is valid in the Industrial Age, has lost its validity in the Information Age.

Others invest in a crowded family and want children to take care of them in their old age. Such an investment used to be good, however, due to today’s economic difficulties, families are no longer in a position to meet the living and health expenses of the elders.

There are also independent pension investment plans called individual pension plans. The federal government provides tax relief for incentives to both employers and workers so that they participate in these plans.

Income from Investments

Although all of the above are investment tools, people who invest are more concerned with a continuous source of income than these. Are you currently deriving your income from your investments? In other words, does your money work for you and generate income for you?

Let’s look at someone who buys a house for investment and rents it out. If the rent he receives is more than he has to spend for that house, it means cash coming from investments. The same is true for those who earn interest on their money in the bank or receive dividends from stocks.

Advantage of Earning Income From Investments

The main difference that separates those who make money from their investments from others is to make money from money. If they succeed in this, they can run their money, and the next few generations of members of their family also benefit.

In addition to the obvious advantages of knowing how to earn money from money and live without having to get out of bed in the morning and go to work, there are also tax advantages that are not available to those who work to make money.

One of the reasons the rich get richer is because they earn millions but do not pay taxes on that money. Because their earnings are included in the “active column”, not the “passive column”. Or they make money from their investments, not physical work.

Those who work to make money are not only subject to high taxes. Also, a certain tax is deducted from their wages, that amount goes to tax before they even get it.

Why Are More People Not Being Investors?

Investing means working less, earning more and paying less tax. So why don’t more people become investors? For the same reason as the small number of people starting their own business. In one word, we can say because of “risk”.

Many people are afraid of losing money when they are investing it somewhere. Even if they know how much their investments may earn them, they avoid investing and risking their money because they are afraid of losing.

Fear of losing money divides investors into four classes:

1. Those who avoid risk, love guarantees and keep their money in the bank

2. Those who leave their investment decisions to experts such as financial advisors or mutual fund managers

3. Gamblers

4. Investors

We can distinguish between the gambler and the investor as follows: According to the gambler, investment is a game of chance. For those who hand their money over to someone else to invest, investing is a game that they do not want to learn. It is important for these people to be careful when choosing financial advisors.

It’s Time to Become an Investor!

The defined and predictable plans of the Industrial Age are gone. As the Information Age shifts to specific retirement plans, everyone has to be responsible for their own finances. However, the number of people who realize this is very few.

I urge you to read my WHY YOU NEED TO INCREASE YOUR FINANCIAL IQ post.

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Make Money in a Better Way

by Enes Öner4 Comments on Make Money in a Better Way

It Doesn’t Need to Have Money to Make Money

We know that many successful people dropped out of school without getting a degree or never went to college. General Electric founder Thomas Edison, Ford Motor Co Founder Henry Ford, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, CNN founder Ted Turner, Dell computer founder Michael Dell, Apple Computer Company founder Steve Jobs, Polo’s founder Ralph Lauren did so. Higher education is important in traditional professions, but for these men it wasn’t important in accessing great wealth since they started their own business.

So, What Do You Need?

If money isn’t needed to make money and schools don’t teach how to achieve financial freedom, then what is needed?

It is necessary to dream, to be determined, the desire to learn quickly, the ability to use God’s blessings, and to know how to earn income.

Which Way Do You Make Your Income?

Different ways of earning income.

An employee earns money by getting a job, working for someone else or working for a company. A self-employed person earns money by working for himself. An employer has set up a business that generates income. An investor earns money from the various investments she makes.

There are different ways to generate income. It requires different mindset, different technical skills, different learning path and different people. Different people find themselves closer to different areas.

Although money is the same everywhere, the way it is earned can be very different. Think of the different qualities required in all four ways and ask yourself which way you get the most of your income.

Each one is very different. Earning income from different segments requires different skills and different personalities, even if the person in each segment is the same. Switching from one method to another is like playing golf or tennis in the morning and going dancing at night.

You Can Earn Income in These Four Ways

Most of us have the potential to generate income in all four ways. Which one we choose has nothing to do with what we are taught at school. It is more related to our values, strength, weaknesses and interests. What kind of person we are determines how we will earn our income.

Whatever we do professionally, it is possible to earn income in these four ways. For example, suppose a doctor chooses to earn income as an employee. He can work in a hospital or a public institution. He can even become a military doctor or become a permanent doctor of one of the insurance companies.

The same man can also open a clinic and work as a self-employed. He can also choose to be an employer. He hires other doctors. He doesn’t have to work in his own polyclinic, then he can employ a administrator. If this doctor does not necessarily want to have a job in the field of health, he can also establish a company operating in a completely different sector. 

He can also invest in other people’s business or other investment instruments such as stocks, bonds and real estate.

Different Methods of Generating a Source of Income

The way we earn income depends on our character. Some prefer to work for someone else, some hate it. Some people like to own a company but also like to run that company. While some people like to invest, others avoid it by citing the risk of losing money. Most of these attitudes can be found in us.

You Can Become Rich or Poor in All Four Ways

There is no clear relationship between these methods and wealth or poverty. Earning millions or being broke is up to the person himself. Choosing one way or another is not a guarantee of financial success, and no one can give you any advice.

These Methods Are Not Equal

Knowing the different features of each method is useful in understanding which one or which ones are more suitable for us.

Let’s say I choose to earn my income primarily as an employer and investor. Because I would like to take advantage of tax benefits. Legal tax privileges for groups at the top of the table are limited. On the other hand, there are plenty of loopholes regarding tax that can be used by those below in the table. If I get my income as an employer and investor, I can earn much more money in a shorter time and I will not pay high tax.

Money Supports Life

I believe it is absurd to spend a lifetime working to earn money and pretending that money is not important. Life is worth more than money. On the other hand, money is also important in terms of supporting life. We must learn to make money without working long hours. That’s when we get plenty of time to do other things.

If you take a closer look at this simple table, you will see that it contains not only different views of the world, but also very different worlds.

Neither is better than the other. Each of them has strengths and weaknesses.

Some of us can walk more than one path, maybe even all of the paths. We are all different individuals, remember, one method is not better or more important than the other. In every village, town and city of the world, all kinds of professionals are needed in order to balance the financial stability of the society.

On the one hand, our interests change as we grow older and our experience increases. For example, many young people who have just graduated from school are elated when they find a job. However, after a year or two, few find that they are not interested in rising up the corporate hierarchy or are not interested in their business. These changes that come with age and experience cause one to seek new ways to grow, challenge, achieve financial reward and achieve personal happiness…

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Book Recommendations, Financial IQ, investment, Taxation

Why You Need to Increase Your Financial IQ

by Enes Öner10 Comments on Why You Need to Increase Your Financial IQ

The average American today works for six months to pay taxes. This is a very long time. The more one work, the more she pays the government.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how taxes work in favor of corporations and the rich, and then discuss the power and advantages of corporations.

When the poor and middle class try to punish the rich, the rich do not bow down and react. Because they have money, power, and are determined to change things. They don’t just sit around and agree to pay taxes. They look for ways to reduce their tax burden, recruit skilled lawyers and accountants and persuade politicians to change laws and create legal loopholes. They have the opportunity to change the rules.

For example, the US tax law provides some possibilities to avoid paying taxes. Many people cannot access these opportunities because they are busy with their own work. These legal loopholes are details only the rich can see. For example, “1031” means the section numbered 1031 of the State Revenue Law. It allows the seller to delay tax on real estate sold to be exchanged for a more expensive property for the purpose of capital increase.

Real estate can offer great tax benefits. If you are not selling for disposal, you will not pay tax on your earnings as long as you trade them to increase their value. People who do not take advantage of the tax savings made possible by law miss the opportunity to grow their assets.

A high Financial IQ is required to be aware of and benefit from these opportunities. And raising Financial IQ only takes four areas of expertise:

  1. Accounting. We can also call this financial knowledge. This skill is a must to build an empire. The more money one takes the responsibility, the more careful one has to be. Otherwise everything will be ruined. Details matter. Financial knowledge is reading and understanding bank statements. This skill allows to identify the strengths and weaknesses of any organization.
  2. Investment. The science of making money. Strategies and equations are important for making the right investments. This skill is linked to creative intelligence.
  3. Understanding Markets. It requires knowledge of supply and demand. It is necessary to know the “technical” aspects of the markets. Whether an investment is right or not depends on current market conditions.
  4. Laws. A company with technical skills related to accounting, investment and the market grows rapidly. But a person who knows the tax law and is under a corporate shield can get rich much faster than someone working for someone else or just someone who owns a small business. This is like the difference between walking and getting on a plane. The difference is huge when it comes to long-term wealth.

Employees earn and pay taxes, and live with the rest. The company earns and spends money and pays taxes on the remaining amount. This is one of the biggest legal tax loopholes benefited by the rich.

This is easy to do if you have investments that generate good cash flow. For example, you can turn your vacation trips into board meetings in Hawaii. Automobile payments, insurance, repair expenses turn into company expenses. You can show your sports club membership fee as company expense. You can add most of the restaurant expenses to company expenses. There are many more advantages like this, but they should be done before paying tax.

The rich hide most of their wealth. They use companies or foundations to protect their assets from creditors. When someone sues a wealthy person, they face a legal protection shield, and often that wealthy person “has no property”. The rich keep control of everything, but they have no property. The poor and middle class try to own everything and lose them to either the state or other people.

In short, if you have legal assets, find out as soon as possible the benefits and protection shield a company can offer you. You will find many books written on the subject. Even if you look at the company establishment stages, you will get detailed information on this subject. The power of sole proprietorships is well described in Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich.

Financial IQ is actually a synergy of many skills and abilities. But I think the combination of the four technical skills I listed above forms the basis of financial intelligence. If you have a desire to make a great fortune, then the combination of these skills becomes even more important.

As part of your overall financial strategy, my suggestion is to have your own company equipped with assets.

Please let me know what you think below.

Keep reading with WHY ACCOUNTING KNOWLEDGE IS NEEDED.

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Financial Attitudes, Taxation, Understanding Money

The Robin Hood Ideal

by Enes Öner4 Comments on The Robin Hood Ideal

“Why don’t the rich pay?”

“The rich should pay more taxes and help the poor.”

“The only reason the poor survive so hard are the rich.”

We often hear about the idea of taking from the rich and giving it to the poor. When I hear such sentences, I think of Robin Hood. Robin Hood may have passed away from this world hundreds of years ago, but those who followed in his footsteps are still alive.

The idea of taking from the rich and giving it to the poor most troubled the poor and middle class. The reason why the middle class is heavily taxed is actually the Robin Hood ideal. The harsh reality is that the rich are not taxed. The middle class helping the poor, especially high-income and educated ones.

For better understanding, we first need to look at the historical process.

There was no such thing as tax in Britain and America before. Temporary taxes were imposed to cover increased expenses during wars. In the past, the announcement was made by the king or the head of state and everyone was asked to put their hands in their pockets. The introduction of taxation in Britain took place between 1799 and 1816. During this period, Britain was fighting against Napoleon. In America, the first taxes were introduced during the Civil War period between 1861-1865.

In 1874, England turned income tax on its citizens into a permanent practice. The United States made the income tax application permanent in 1913 after the 16th constitutional amendment was approved. Americans used to be against taxation. The famous Tea Party in Boston Harbor contributed to the start of the War of Independence, and the reason was the excessive tax rates imposed on tea. In both England and the United States, it took fifty years for societies to adopt the regular income tax application.

These taxes were imposed to be collected only from the rich. The poor and middle class were told that taxes were levied only for the rich, so the idea of tax was popularized and imposed on the majority. Therefore, the masses voted “Yes” to the law and the tax was legalized. Although the main purpose was to punish the rich, in reality it was the people who voted for him, the poor and the middle class who were punished.

When we examine the history of taxes, we are faced with an interesting perspective. As stated above, the implementation of the tax system was made possible by the masses believing in Robin Hood economic theories, which argued that income should be taken from the rich and distributed to all. But the state loved money so much that it soon imposed taxes on the middle class, and taxes spread to the lowest class of society.

The rich took this situation as an opportunity. Because they play the game by different rules. Even in the time of sailing ships, they established insurance companies for goods carried on the voyage. The rich invested money in the company to cover travel expenses. The companies was hiring seafarers who would sail to the New World in search of treasure. Even if the ship sank during the voyage and the crew died, the loss of the rich was limited to the money they invested on that voyage.

Knowing the power of the company’s legal structure is what makes the rich superior to the poor and middle class. Thus, although the masses advocated “buy from the rich,” the rich sooner or later found a way to overcome them. That was why, the middle class was also taxed. The rich got what they wanted because they were aware of the power of money.

Companies and governments always protect the rich. But many people who have never started a company do not know that a company is really “nothing”. The company is almost a file containing some legal documents registered in the government office in the law firm. It is not a big building with its name on the top. It is neither a factory nor a community of persons. The company is nothing more than a legal document that creates a soulless legal personality.

As soon as the income tax was made permanent by law, the benefits of companies came back on the agenda. Because the income tax rate of companies is lower than the individual income tax rate. Thus, the wealth of the rich was once again preserved.

As a result, this war between those who have property and those who do not have been going on for hundreds of years. This is the “take from the rich” war of the crowds against the rich. Wherever and whenever laws are made, this war will be fought. It will take forever. The problem is that the uninformed ones are the losers. These are those who get up early every morning and go to work and pay taxes. If they understood the rules of the game the rich are playing, they could play better too. Then they could gain their financial independence.

Please let me know that what are you thinking about the taxes below.

I strongly recommend continuing to read with WHY YOU NEED TO INCREASE YOUR FINANCIAL IQ.

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