>the responses to this argument I have seen from non-tech people range from "fuck you" to "deal with it."

Two factors also don't help matters either:

* Most people, which perhaps surprisingly includes most commenters here, don't understand what taxes are levied against or what losses and amortization even are. You can't effectively argue against something you don't understand.

* Of the people who do understand taxes and income/loss sheets, it's only the business owners and accountants who like putting as big a number as possible under losses to reduce net profit and thus taxes owed. The commons rightfully see it as tax avoidance, which unsurprisingly is met with "fuck you".