Recently I was away on vacation, as many of you know, for two weeks. When I returned I found that very little had changed. Half of EH died and were boosted, a few hundred Scums died including some bankers and there are some different HDO's. But the biggest issue when I returned has proven to be a complex issue with much different thought.
Whilst away my crew expected me to pay taxes. They had put me on two warnings for the two weeks of not paying taxes. Now ignoring our casino rules (like most crews casino owners are immune to tax and the day I left I sold my Race Track and the day I returned I bought a new one) being on vacation meant that I couldn't perform an OC for two weeks and I couldn't gain interest in the federal bank.
Now for me that wasn't a big issue, I have the money to pay taxes regardless. But for my partner Sheesha, who went with me, she did not. So here comes the problem, if you are on vacation you cannot make money. Should you pay crew taxes whilst away? Its a difficult situation with many grey areas. So lets discuss the issue!
First we will look at the crew mentality. Some crews are small and struggle to pay their daily tax. If a crew member or two go away on vacation then the crew will suffer because of it. The other members may have to pay more money or the crew fall into debt. At the end of the day they still need that money to survive. But other crews are large, some having Bullet Factories, and have a number of casino's and a health bank balance. But does that mean that they don't need the tax? They still have points to buy and a balance to build up. These crews often have the tax sent to a specific person who can bank it for the crew and ensure the money is being used. So they still need that money.
Now we will discuss some opinions which have arisen. PaBaker said, "I think people who are leaving for a vacation also need to pay tax upfront. In my opinion its a easy escape if ya cant pay tax..Paying tax is just something. It makes common sense since your crew related and willing to help the crew out."
He also said "Tommorrow I go to Spain . I payed like 700k this week to the crew. I wont make my account on vacation, I be with you all and I die with you all. If I could I pay 500k a day to the crew, keeping none for myself. Commitments."
His opinion is very clear cut. Vacation mode shouldn't be used as an escape in order to pay taxes as the crew can suffer. He is a loyal crew member who pays everything he can to the crew. But unfortunately the game doesn't always work like that and you can't just give your crew all of your money unless you are the crew boss. In order to properly play you still need some cash, before we even get onto the topic of gambling!
PrincessV shared a very short comment "Why should anyone pay taxes while he's on a vacation?" Short but to the point. If you can't make money then how can you pay it?
Now lets look at the "escaping" into vacation mode. In vacation mode you cannot be killed. You cannot make money. You cannot do anything in regards to Bootleggers but nor can anyone do anything to you. The Crew is no longer giving you protection, nor are you protecting the crew. They aren't providing you with a place to talk nor are they looking after your Casino's or helping you in anyway. But your not helping them in anyway. You are a non-entity in terms of the crew. If the crew dies you cannot be the crew boss so you would come back to be crewless. So why should you pay? If your crew bank account is strong then why would anyone on vacation mode be expected to pay taxes? If your bank account is bad then you should be happy to pay but shouldn't it be your choice?
So please, tell us at the Buzz exactly what your thoughts are on this subject! Do you have a clause in your crew rules? Have you come across these problems before? Or is this something that hasn't occurred or been noticed? All thoughts and comments are, as always, appreciated!
