# Every Crisis Is An Opportunity... To Dream Up New Ways To Tax The Workers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [November 12, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446 "2020-11-12T18:11:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446/1 "2020-11-12T18:11:42Z")

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> White collar staff reaping the financial benefits of working from home should be taxed to help other workers who aren’t getting the same advantages, experts at Deutsche Bank said in a new report.

While I certainly understand the need to help people suffering economic dislocation from the pandemic and the changes that will persist in its aftermath, I can think of better possible revenue sources. For instance – since the name “Deutsche Bank” has come up – perhaps a levy could be assessed on profits from money-laundering and tax-evasion schemes.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446/2 "2020-11-12T18:17:27Z")

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That seems horrible for the environment. I wonder if, once you factor in the externalities that carbon-consuming workers impose, albeit involuntarily, on the environment by their commute that are not baked into the gasoline tax, if you should be taxing the workers _less_ if they work from home.

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446/3 "2020-11-12T18:18:20Z")

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Yeah, how about instead of taxing me, you tax my employer who gets to cut costs at the office?

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**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446/4 "2020-11-12T18:37:29Z")

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There’s also the externality of increased virus transmission.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446/5 "2020-11-12T18:51:00Z")

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Taxing working from home would just encourage people to not do so. Ideally, you want people to work from home if that is possible.

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**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-crisis-is-an-opportunity-to-dream-up-new-ways-to-tax-the-workers/925446/6 "2020-11-12T19:42:44Z")

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I came across [another response](https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/nov/12/employees-shouldnt-pay-to-work-at-home) to this inane proposal that brought something into focus:

> Is this more about property owners getting worried about empty space in cities?

I suspect that this is hitting the nail squarely on the head – (the legitimate potion of) Deutsche Bank’s business is taking a bath on the commercial real estate market.