France’s Socialists Generate A New Class Of Tax Exiles

"The message could not be clearer: The number of requests by French citizens to leave France are suddenly up by 400 to 500 percent. As far as my tax law business is concerned, we used to have three to five such cases a year, and we are already facing more than 20 this year. We are witnessing an explosive rise in tax exile since April 2012. Currently, however, we are seeing a lot of young entrepreneurs, not necessarily wealthy, but who would like to get wealthy and will not hand over their wealth to the government. The hopeful tax exiles are therefore getting younger: today they are aged between 35 and 50, and not between 55 and 70, as was seen before." Continue reading

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Barter and Alternative Currencies Growing in Greece

"The issue of tax reporting is brought into the article – and an insinuation is made that people are dodging taxes by using these systems. But so far as we can tell, such systems need central bookkeeping, which is one reason why we figure the United Nations has been a supporter of them. Gold and silver are far harder to track for personal usage than barter/currency systems that use a centralized bookkeeping system. Are Greeks turning to gold and silver as well, as those in Zimbabwe have done once the economy collapsed? We would bet gold and silver are finding their place alongside such barter/currency systems." Continue reading

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10 Reasons Why You Have to Quit Your Job This Year

"You can’t make money without selling something real. You can’t make something real without first imagination manifesting itself in your head. You can’t have imagination without surrendering yourself to an idea that you want to create something of value to other human beings. And now it’s too late. Now the course of history has finally written it’s next chapter. There’s no more bullshit. I’m going to tell you why you have to quit your job. Why you need to get the ideas moving. Why you need to build a foundation for your life or soon you will have no roof." Continue reading

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Rocky Mountain high: Pot a $200M industry in Colorado

"Vigorous regulation of a thriving medical-marijuana industry in Colorado offers the best glimpse of what is coming to Washington when it launches its voter-approved social-use market. With continuous surveillance, bar-coded plants and strict financial background checks, Colorado's rules allowed capitalism to be unleased, creating an instant $200 million industry." Continue reading

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Case Against Kim Dotcom Copyright Infringement Continues to Weaken

"This is the man US and Hollywood officials decided to make an example of. Interestingly, they were victims of the same persona that Dotcom has used successfully throughout his career. A man who so thoroughly advertised his affection for fast cars, large yachts, beautiful women and military video games was someone who surely could not be taken seriously. It was inconceivable to these intelligence agents and military men that someone as obviously undisciplined as Kim Dotcom would pose a 'hard target.' Surely he would fold immediately on feeling the boot upon his neck. And this misjudgment was only one of a series." Continue reading

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The world’s first airborne Mexican food delivery system

"Earlier this year, the world was brought to its knees when it was cruelly teased with the promise of tasty Mexican treats being delivered via quadcopter. We believe everyone deserves carne asada when they want it and so today, we make that dream a reality. We’re proud to introduce: Burrito Bomber -- truly the world's first airborne Mexican food delivery system." Continue reading

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The top 10 tech ‘fails’ of 2012

"In 2012, we saw big tech advances. Smartphones got bigger. Tablets got smaller. Social media played a role in everything from a presidential election to disaster relief. But with advances come clunkers. When you're in a field that demands near-constant innovation and unprecedented levels of creativity, sometimes even the most successful players are going to shoot and miss. So, at the risk of playing Scrooge in this season of good will, here we come to wallow in it. Because, let's face it: The Internet loves a good fail. Behold the top 10 tech 'fails' of 2012, with wishes for happier days ahead to all involved." Continue reading

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Five big tech stories to watch for in 2013

"We were dazzled by an array of smartphones. We were fascinated and then disappointed by Facebook's initial public offering. And we held our breaths as we awaited the verdict in the Apple v. Samsung trial. But all that's so 2012. Let's talk 2013. Will we still be paying attention to patents, smartphones, and IPOs? The answer is 'yes, yes, and yes,' but not in the way you might imagine. The great thing about writing about the high-tech industry is its constant march forward. New companies get built on the bones of old companies, and new faces emerge while others fade. It's what keeps us going and sitting on those hard, wooden courtroom benches." Continue reading

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Rich Chinese and Russians Flock to Germany to Spend

"Travelers from non-EU countries can receive a refund for the value-added tax they've paid on items they buy, generally 19% of the purchase price. There are days when the customs officers are barely able to cope with the flood of heavily laden tourists. Long lines often form at the customs counters shortly before flights leave for Moscow, Beijing or Dubai. The same is true for incoming flights, when arriving passengers must declare cash amounts over €10,000. A golden age has also begun for businesses that specialize in refunding value-added tax. The companies pay tourists the bulk of the refund, but the company retains a percentage as a 'service charge.'" Continue reading

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