Google's taxes

**ScratchMonkey** · 10-24-2010, 02:18 PM

A big evil corporation hides all its income in Bermuda:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...1043146825.htm

**Sirusblk** · 10-24-2010, 05:37 PM

I wouldn't call Google evil. It would be nice if the US saw some of that tax income but it's all perfectly legal and pretty smart. Not to mention they use a system that is actually considered common knowledge and used by the other 4 leading technology competitors in the US.

As far as I'm concerned if you're planning to go international with your business this is how you'd do it.

**Tempus** · 10-24-2010, 06:18 PM

You would not be complaining if you were a shareholder.

It is Google's (and any public corporation) responsibility to return value to the shareholders. They do so in a legal way. If the government wanted to stop these loopholes, it would. If corporate taxes get to be too high in the US, these companies will start being started up elsewhere.

**snooggums** · 10-25-2010, 02:05 AM

Google Netherland Holdings is a great example of why companies/corporations are not people (eat it Supreme Court) because they can exist for a single tax avoidance purpose and serve no function outside of legal money laundering.

**Flarfignuggen** · 10-25-2010, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by snooggums

Google Netherland Holdings is a great example of why companies/corporations are not people (eat it Supreme Court) because they can exist for a single tax avoidance purpose and serve no function outside of legal money laundering.

Yeah, but you'll never see this issue dealt with in a satisfying manner. Too many greasy hands in too many pockets.

**Sirusblk** · 10-26-2010, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by snooggums

Google Netherland Holdings is a great example of why companies/corporations are not people (eat it Supreme Court)...

I think elementary school children could pointed that out with their study of nouns but point taken

**ScratchMonkey** · 10-26-2010, 08:39 AM

I use the term "evil corporation" here with a degree of sarcasm. (It works well for trolling thread responses.

) Google likes to claim that it does no evil, and there are many who presume that all corporations are necessarily evil. Moreover, there are those who consider any avoidance of taxes to be evil, because they're not contributing their fair share to society. (Whatever "fair" means, of course.)

But why should a corporation be able to get out of taxes like this, when simple wage earners can't afford the army of lawyers needed to accomplish the same thing? Yet another reason I propose ending the wage tax and taxing only interest on investments as "income". Only interest-earners can afford the lawyers. Wages are a fee for service, a kind of sale, and should be taxed with either a sales tax or VAT.

**Sirusblk** · 10-26-2010, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by ScratchMonkey

But why should a corporation be able to get out of taxes like this, when simple wage earners can't afford the army of lawyers needed to accomplish the same thing?

This is like comparing Apples to Oil Changes though. Wage earners are people who live in a country earn a fixed amount and pay taxes. A corporation that has taken part on a global scale is completely different. Google is competing with a ludicrous amount of money on a global market that has a huge risk attached to it. Not to mention big time cooperations like Google are taxed more, especially when working multinational. Likewise lower taxes in some areas of the world are there to incite business there, which Google has done. Google isn't stealing anyone's money they're just lowering the amount they have to pay through taxes by using their multinational business to it's advantage. It's shrewd business practice and it's a smart one. This doesn't stop the employees of Google including CEOs from paying taxes.