Tuesday 13 October 2009

Book 2, chapter 4, paragraph 07

[De la richesse commerciale, Sismondi, 1803, Original, 8-9]

   Pour que l’impôt foncier soit payé en entier par les propriétaires, il faut qu’ils n’aient point de moyen de l’éviter, car s’il leur est possible de diminuer leurs productions sans perdre leur rente, ce ne sera plus eux, mais les consommateurs, qui payeront l’impôt.

[Translation]

   If the land tax is paid exclusively by landlords, they must have no means to escape from it, because it will no longer be landlords but consumers that pay the tax if it is possible for landlords to diminish their produce without losing their rent.