[anniew]

Assuming you have a stash of food, and can do major gardening/animal husbandry, and have no debt...if/when the dollar fails, how will people pay their real estate taxes, utilities, etc. even if they are minimal.
If the dollar is basically worthless, what is the solution if you don't have gold/silver. Bartering is possible to secure some of the other needs, but still the taxes must be paid in cash, not chickens...

 

[bee]

if you "can do major gardening/animal husbandry" you are most likely out in the sticks and the tax collector may have trouble getting out to you if everything is sooo bad in urban areas..I would think utilities would have failed do to food riots destroying infrastructure; collecting taxes will most likely be low on the list...collection of FOOD much higher...If the dollar fails and all else crashes my concern is military combing the countryside for "extra foodstuffs and livestock" to keep the urban areas from crashing and BURNING.

 

[anniew]

I understand your point, Bee, but I just wonder if taxes will continue to be collected (or tried to be collected) so that local governments can keep their employees. Assuming there is no major rioting nor military presence, how do people plan on paying taxes and/or utilities when the dollar is no longer worth much...
I am in a rural county, but also on the main east/west road so it would not be hard to find me...

 

[seedspreader]

Annie, that's why some people are predicting tax and food riots.

The new Boston Tea Party is just around the corner if we don't get tax relief.

 

[stranger]

the tax collector don't come out where i live, you go to him and every piece of land is accounted for, I can't ever see where counties will forget taxes in this area or any part of the state for that matter. recording the land and zoning different areas has been a priority since the 70s. they'll trip over a homeless body to get the taxes.
I think they would pull all the troops home just to take controll and collect from us or at least keep track of all those that don't pay so they could take the land when all the dust has settled.

even if there was a tax revolt, the laws would have to voted out to get out of paying them, the majority didn't want the bailout either, but you all see what happened, our elected government officials don't give a rats behind about what we want.

 

[mpillow]

So if they come with the military and you stand your ground weapons loaded...and they arrest you...how are they going to feed/house everyone that's arrested?

It'll cost them more than the hassle is worth...but thats the gov't for you...

 

[Ann-NWIowa]

If the infastructure is gone, as in no govenment, we will have anarchy which will be a much more pressing problem than paying taxes. With no government it will likely be someone with a weapon demanding tribute. Until such time as an orderly system can be restored rule will be by meanest person with biggest weapon. Assuming a total breakdown of government, I would think that chaos would be dealt with community by community, then county by county, followed by state by state until some sort of central government could be restored. Or we could be taken over by China. Or Iran would love to destroy/control US as would Russia. Until we know what specifically we're facing it seems taxes might be the least of our problems.

Back to your original question, I don't have a clue how one without resources could pay anything. However, my bet is if there is a politician left living in the country, someone will be collecting taxes.

 

[Razorback21]

If the dollar collapses and is basically worthless, I will be more than happy to give the taxing entities my worthless paper, formerly Federal Reserve currency.

 

[stranger]

It'll be like little house on the prairie, the tax collector will have so many chickens that he can't feed them.

 

[mpillow]

It'll be like little house on the prairie, the tax collector will have so many chickens that he can't feed them.

LOL it was Doc Baker with all the chickens (and a kind, generous soul)

 

[Callieslamb]

I think it will depend on where you live.

 

[Txsteader]

If the dollar fails, nobody will be working at the tax office, unless they want to work for free, and I wouldn't think they'd want the hazards of the job, if you get my drift.

Seriously though, I believe like others here; collecting taxes will be much less important than feeding all those hungry people.

 

[wvstuck]

When the dollar fails and becomes worthless.... Let me get this right... They are going to use troops to come and take money that is useless for payment on land taxes, so they can keep county employees working, forgive me a minute while I laugh... Why is anyone working for the county going to get up and go to work just to receive worthless money for their efforts. The dollar collapsed in this scenario, so no one will be working for useless paper. If the dollar were failing there would be new currency issued, maybe on a 10/1 or 50/1 scale, you trade 50 dollars for 1 new unit of money. Then everyone will owe taxes again.

Yeah we were against the bailout, and we see how they voted. When food, money and basics of life run short, no one will remember the names of the old politicians that screwed us. New people will step up and become leaders and people will re-assemble the nation from the ground up, not the top down. The greatest Army in the world can't handle an insurgency in a place called Iraq, not quite the size of California, can you imagine trying to control an uprising of the people in the U.S..... Talk about insurgency.

 

[Jim-mi]

....IF I had a stash of gold it sure would not be giving it to the *TAX* man.

Don't bother looking up my addy . . cause I don't have any gold or silver.


"Daddy whats that funny looking thing\man doing over there .??"
"Well son thats the local tax man wearing his full head to toe body armor". . . ."He's going to make another attempt to go out to Hermit John's place" . . . . . . . . .

 

[texican]

If, or rather, when the dollar fails (or we go into hyperinflation, ala Zimbabwe), debt might be a good thing to have... I'm thinking about acquiring some good debt... doubtful the debt would be indexed to the inflation, so 10K of debt could be paid off with 10K of money, that after hyperinflation would buy a loaf of bread... If wages kept up, in the black market, debts could be paid with pennies on the dollar...

 

[rickd203]

I heard a disturbing report that the government is intentionally working to cause the dollar to fail so that it can be replaced by the amero. If this did happen, The Govt. could declare all U.S. debts unrecoverable and all U.S. dollar based bank assets are basically worthless. You might be able to exchange dollars for ameros at a 50 to 1 rate. A $500,000 dollar retirement account would only be worth 10,000 ameros.

Of course this is all just rumor and I can't begin to guess at the specific consequences of this action but it doesn't look good.

 

[Terri]

No money = no home. For us it is that simple.

As for food, we can only feed ourselves IF the crash happens in the spring, and IF the weather is good. Unlike some of you we do not have a years supply of food, and, there would have to be some changes if this olace is to support us. More grain: fewer vegetables. Etc.

 

[Lancer]

Hello , THIS THANKSGIVING PRAY! GOD BLESS YOU!!!

 

[Guest]

When the dollar fails and becomes worthless.... Let me get this right... They are going to use troops to come and take money that is useless for payment on land taxes, so they can keep county employees working, forgive me a minute while I laugh... Why is anyone working for the county going to get up and go to work just to receive worthless money for their efforts.

That's a good point.

If the dollar fails and becomes worthless paper, why would ANY government or military employee keep working? How would there be martial law if there is nobody to work for the government? Who would be the martial army if there were no soldiers?

 

[texican]

If, or rather, when the dollar fails (or we go into hyperinflation, ala Zimbabwe), debt might be a good thing to have... I'm thinking about acquiring some good debt... doubtful the debt would be indexed to the inflation, so 10K of debt could be paid off with 10K of money, that after hyperinflation would buy a loaf of bread... If wages kept up, in the black market, debts could be paid with pennies on the dollar...

If TEO arrives, I can imagine looking back fondly on the present tax collection system. A warlord, or what have you, will collect more valuable things than money... they will BE paid... be it with the food you need for your own survival, your livestock, or your excess family members. Don't worry about cash... you'll always have something of value to those who are more powerful... of course, you might not cotton to slavery for yourself or your family, but as a slave, you still might eat on a semi regular basis.

If I were a "tax collector", 'warlord' or what have you, I wouldn't take your greenbacks... (toilet paper would probably have a higher value) and unless society had progressed beyond simple survival, I wouldn't take gold or silver... I'd take your food first, then able bodied humans... probably not on a regular basis, but for several weeks in the spring and fall, during planting and harvest times, and at other times for public works projects...