I KEEP HEARING THAT A PAPER GAIN ISNโT REALLY INCOME.
I understand the argument.
If you own an asset that rises in value, you havenโt necessarily received cash from that increase.
But then I look at my property tax bill.
My home became more valuable according to the latest assessment.
I didnโt sell it.
I didnโt receive a check.
I didnโt withdraw anything.
Yet that higher assessed value can mean a higher tax bill.
So Iโm trying to understand the distinction.
If an increase in value isnโt spendable money, why can that same increase affect what I owe?
Maybe the real issue isnโt whether an asset gained value.
Maybe itโs how the tax system chooses to treat that value.
Celebrate people.
Congratulate them. Support them. Give them their flowers. ๐น
Not everyone gets the chance to witness another celebration.
Life is fragile.