How do property taxes work under hyperinflation? How did they work for Depression-era Germany? Does the government go around repossessing land from people who can't pay the inflated fifty gazillion dollar property taxes, or do they acknowledge that times are weird and give people a pass? Hell, what's the point of collecting taxes when the money is worthless? Would zogbots risk their lives for a nine figure paycheck that gets them a loaf of bread a week?
I know that not everyone lost their land during the Depression, I'm just curious how people were able to stay on top of it. Maybe Weimar took control of people's land and then the Nazis redistributed it? Wouldn't surprise me if jew historians failed to report on good guy Nazis.
@MeBigbrain
Based on latin america experiences with hyperinflation, let me answer those questions:
- Property taxes (or taxes in general):
They are only updated yearly so they actually go down in real terms as everyone uses the worthless currency to pay them.
- Repossession:
Yes in theory, no in practice. With a hyperinflationary depression, they don't have the manpower to repossess everything. Many people stop paying taxes at all.
Here's a long-term question about the repossession angle; what happens to the people who didn't pay during hyperinflation after it ends and government re-establishes itself? Are the property owners held accountable for the delinquent taxes, so they either have to pay it all up or get their property seized, or does government just do a big tax forgiveness and call it all a wash?
This might not apply to Latin America, but I know that in Germany they got past hyperinflation by switching currencies (they actually did this a few times). So how do old unpaid taxes even get applied if the old tax is in a defunct currency? Do they attempt to convert the value or just give up on collection? It seems too wishful to think that they'll just let people get away with shit, but I guess these are times where things get as insane as they can (short of war or a zombie apocalypse).
@MeBigbrain
You answered the question, latin america did exactly what germany did - they simply switch currencies. Venezuela has been trying to reset the bolivar ever since their collapse.
The issue is as long as you don't have a revolution and install a new government that cuts all the money printing and insane government expenditure, the new currency will simply hyperinflate too.
Historically, all past debts in the old currency are forgiven/forgotten. Including taxes.
@MeBigbrain
- Workers:
No, they don't. Most will only work in the black market for foreign currency, food, medicine or precious metals. Worst case scenarios, like Venezuela, women will prostitute themselves and men will trade women (it's common for a husband to have the wife whore herself for foreign currency).
- Land:
The most important thing are connections and community. If you're well connected, you're exempt. If you have a community, you just arm up and don't let them steal your land.