Comment · Tue, July 24, 2012
Super rich hiding up to $32 trillion offshore, which amounts to roughly the US and Japanese GDP combined. Up to $280bn is lost in tax revenues. Some of the world's biggest banks are involved: HSBC, Citigroup, Bank of America, UBS, Credit Suisse
What they were answering
[deleted] · 1 points
Ohh come on now, tax evasion is a very clear definition
"Tax evasion" as a crime has a clear implication of being illegal, because you're talking about the crime of "tax evasion". However, "evade" is a word that doesn't have a clear implication of illegality, and you can legally evade paying taxes.
I would never participate in the split check run around in your example, and take some offense to you questioning my morality as such.
Well I intend for you to find it upsetting. To some degree, that's the point of me saying it. People who pull the check-splitting trick would probably also be similarly upset if you were to call them on it, but that doesn't mean you'd be wrong to call someone on it.
As I see it, the big difference here is that when someone pulls the check-splitting trick, they're only harming their own friends, and those friends chose to go to dinner with that person. When you avoid paying your fair share of taxes, you're screwing over other members of society who have no choice in the matter.
It also does not benefit from any Arizona government program.
That may be a limited view of the issue. I don't know you and I don't know your business, but your business may be benefiting from local travel and communications infrastructure. Any assets the company has in your home (or wherever you're operating from) are protected by the local police. I underst…
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
You are still failing to separate the individual from corporate. I benefit from travel, police, and communications infrastructure here in Arizona. That is why I personally pay income, telecom, property, and sales taxes. Any portion of company money that goes to me, gets taxed as personal for me. That more than covers the services you are describing. I don't even take the home office tax write off like most people do!
As for Accenture, I was not defending them. I just am familiar with their operations. How are they con men? They are one of the few companies I do business with, which I know will not screw me over or stab my back. They are extremely expensive, but lay out all costs up front with contracts. They never do any more or less work without a change in that contract. They are very strict, but hardly con men. I would be interested in your view on them.
As for the example I gave, no, the US government provided NOTHING for that job. Any US workers that were involved paid all applicable income taxes as well as sales taxes on the earnings they spend here. Any internet connection from the US was subject to the telecommunication tax. Any phone call was subject to the telecom tax. Perhaps you fail to realize just how much we are taxed on services like that. Any offices in the US pay property tax as well. The corporation itself did not get any benefit with regards to the revenue on that job. They have offices in Zurich, and all applicable local taxes are distributed through that office. The corporate profits go to the Caymans. I still fail to see your logic in why they should pay even more taxes, other than the emotional reaction to the supposed lost revenue, which is not the US's anyway.
Now for my company. Why should it be based in Arizona? I am one of 3 executives in the company. We all live in different states. Our company does not do business in any one state more often than another. In fact, we do not do business in any one country more than another. So what reasoning should it be incorporated in Arizona? If I was a construction company, only doing work here, then of course it should be an Arizona company. But a company with multinational operations and no physical office for people to come into, what is the reasoning?
Your example is still equating two non-equitable things, so it's irrelevant. My company gets less from the US government than others, due to my multinational operations. Yet I pay the same in taxes. I am technically the one out with friends getting a side salad and a $40 bill. Any corporate disputes would be brought up in Colorado court, so Arizona certainly is not providing anything to my company; thus it's not paying AZ income tax. Someone does not pay me in Egypt? Well sorry, I'm out of luck. The US government, nor the Colorado government, will do anything to help me. I do not get a tax break of this though. I pay the same amount I would if they were enforcing the corporate law for my business here in the states. I am the one paying for services I cannot use. So how am I a tax evader again?
You and I obviously have a very different view on taxation. This I can only assume comes from the fact that you have not started and owned a business. I have never spoken to a business owner that thought the way you do about taxation. You seem to think the government helped me to have my business grow, which is BS. If I had failed, the government would not have batted an eye. Customers have not paid their invoices this month? Tough luck, your taxes are still due and we'll charge interest if you don't pay us now. Ohh you can take them to court and we might help you, just pay the court fees and the legal costs. Ohh you have no money, that's right. Tough luck!
Thanks Uncle Sam for helping to make my business flourish...
Then, when I finally am out of debt and my business is making money, "Ohh you are not paying your fair share of taxes!" "You benefited from not being torn apart by angry mobs and murdered in your bed at night, your business owes the US." But I paid all personal taxes and all the late penalties and interest from the time I had nothing. "Sorry, you are the scum of the earth and I am now going to equate you to asshole friends at dinner time. Society must stop you from taking advantage of it." Fuck that! Your stance marginalizes and alienates the people that actually create things in this country.