Originally Posted by
cmdinnyc
How is that different than any sales job?
It is insofar as it borders on the sort of illegal side-deals and kickbacks that are against the law in the U.S.
Let's face it, GS (and even more so, Chairman's Circle) have real monetary value. So giving them to a decision-maker is basically a kickback that the recipient pays no taxes on.
What's GS worth? maybe $15,000 or $20,000. That's roughly what I paid extra to get it with PassPlus. Chairman's circle could easily be valued at double that. So that's $30,000 of income that should be taxed but isn't. Very, very wrong in my opinion.
How would you feel about a salesperson doling out Golf Club memberships worth $20 or $30K to clinch a deal?