[Question] IS CRIME A RECOGNISED OCCUPATION.

[Butch Hannan]

I am being facetious by asking this question. Let your mind run wild and consider what a CV for a job application would look like. Let us have some "sick fun"

Just imagine what the tax return would look like for someone "gainfully" employed in this occupation.

[seeker24]

It is not a recognised occupation otherwise they would not be in hiding.
but check out a job advert on a criminal job opportunity with 15 years history.

other requirements:
previous successful bank robbery,
average robbery of 10 times in a month.
wow

[Dave A]

Given the confidentiality legislation on tax returns, I wouldn't be surprised if you put your occupation as "bank robber" or "drug dealer" on your tax return and there was nothing SARS could do about it as long as you were paying your taxes.

[tec0]

Well the safety officer will have an interesting job... and I would love to see the expression on a labour broker’s face “not to mention the union representative”

[mbsmit]

Hi there,

I happen to think that indeed it is. Wikipedia defines occupation to be "a regular activity performed for payment, that occupies one's time'', so I think crime complies with those requirements? Maybe not such an honorable occupation such as an accountant but anyway.

Regards,
Mr Smit

[tec0]

Well considering that the profits are tax free and repeat of business can be forced on victi..uhhh customers, income is basically guaranteed as is employment. One would rather recommend that to invest some of that money into a proper legal fund and medical aid as the job is still considered high risk...

[adrianh]

Hmmmm...difficult one...

Person A gives person B a note to pass to person C. The note tells person C to hold up a bank. Person C gets caught. Now person A pays a lawyer to get person C off. Person B says he didn't know what was in the note. The lawyer gets person C off. Who is considered to be the criminal - Of course the lawyer is totally innocent because he took money to do a job...but then so did person B & C...

[City Adults SA]

Given the confidentiality legislation on tax returns, I wouldn't be surprised if you put your occupation as "bank robber" or "drug dealer" on your tax return and there was nothing SARS could do about it as long as you were paying your taxes.

Al Capone could not be charged with any crime because there was insufficient proof he was complicit. They finally got him on tax evasion.

[City Adults SA]

Hmmmm...difficult one...

Person A gives person B a note to pass to person C. The note tells person C to hold up a bank. Person C gets caught. Now person A pays a lawyer to get person C off. Person B says he didn't know what was in the note. The lawyer gets person C off. Who is considered to be the criminal - Of course the lawyer is totally innocent because he took money to do a job...but then so did person B & C...

If you become aware of a crime only "after the fact" you need to report it. By not reporting it makes you guilty in the 2nd degree. A lawyers job and mandate is not to judge whether you are guilty or not but to defend you "without prejudice" within the framework of the law. I know what you are thinking already and I agree but morality unfortunately has little to do with it. Take recent violent acts of criminality that have hit the newspapers recently. We all know who is guilty and so does his council but its the duty of his council to defend without prejudice and ensure that his client gets fair sentencing. Sometimes it works and sometimes ambiguities are exploited that serve wealthy defendants.

[mother]

I think it would be a splendid idea to bring in some legislation to tax convicted criminals for their crimes (specifically thieves/robbers/etc). After all, the crime did provide the criminal with an income/asset (something that added value to his estate), which should now be declared, and therefore taxed. Let's say he took a bicycle, then he gained an asset to the value of (more or less) R500, and if it took him approx 5 minutes to steal it, that would translate to an income of R48,000 per day - wow! What's the tax bracket for that kind of income?

[adrianh]

A lawyers job and mandate is not to judge whether you are guilty or not but to defend you "without prejudice" within the framework of the law. I know what you are thinking already and I agree but morality unfortunately has little to do with it.

Perfectly put in a nutshell - and this explains why the best paying customers get the best lawyers and then get off. I suppose a lawyer can be seen as similar to being a surgeon, in that the surgeon repairs whatever damage may have been inflicted without judging the patient. If the surgeon were to judge the patient he or she would probably be unable to remove the bullet lodged in the rapist's spine!

[City Adults SA]

I think it would be a splendid idea to bring in some legislation to tax convicted criminals for their crimes (specifically thieves/robbers/etc). After all, the crime did provide the criminal with an income/asset (something that added value to his estate), which should now be declared, and therefore taxed. Let's say he took a bicycle, then he gained an asset to the value of (more or less) R500, and if it took him approx 5 minutes to steal it, that would translate to an income of R48,000 per day - wow! What's the tax bracket for that kind of income?

I really do like the way you think and I agree with you. Afterall SARS is not the custodian of our morals and they are in no way related to the judiciary or the safety and security cluster. Their mandate is to specifically to tax you on your earnings and gains without giving a crap where it comes from. Oh yeah, I like it.

[City Adults SA]

Perfectly put in a nutshell - and this explains why the best paying customers get the best lawyers and then get off. I suppose a lawyer can be seen as similar to being a surgeon, in that the surgeon repairs whatever damage may have been inflicted without judging the patient. If the surgeon were to judge the patient he or she would probably be unable to remove the bullet lodged in the rapist's spine!

Wow. Love the analogy. Spot on!

[adrianh]

Think about this: If the criminal buys a stolen TV and resells it for a profit he will have to pay capital gains tax. Then of course he would want to deduct the cost of his knife from his tax because he uses his knife to derive his income.

[tec0]

Think about this: If the criminal buys a stolen TV and resells it for a profit he will have to pay capital gains tax. Then of course he would want to deduct the cost of his knife from his tax because he uses his knife to derive his income.

In any event do you think the criminal would like to make his TV licence TAX deductible? After all it is in his best interest to have a TV licence as he can face a serious phone call and be legally threaten with a blacklisting… Those phone calls from SABC can be really intimidating! Basically it is blackmail so maybe the criminal will not go legit on the TV license… Thus the question why would they register for SARS?
Maybe if they do they can get off with community service rather than spending time in prison?