This attitude is annoying. They're forming overseas shell corporations with at most a few employees in those offices who claim an extremely high percentage of all IP-derived income. To claim these companies aren't doing anything illegal, simply because we can't prove that a few people in Ireland aren't responsible for all IP, isn't quite fair. Just because you've arranged fancy license agreements with your Ireland offices doesn't mean those contracts are valid or conscionable.
These companies pay almost no taxes yet feed off our public universities, court systems, patent and trademark offices, copyright offices, public airwaves, highways, federal banking infrastructure, etc. It's sick.
> These companies pay almost no taxes yet feed off our public universities, court systems, patent and trademark offices, copyright offices, public airwaves, highways, federal banking infrastructure, etc. It's sick.
You misunderstand me.
I absolutely agree that it's sick.
But it is 100% legal because the government allows it to occur. If you are expecting private organizations to not act in their own interest, you're basically fighting gravity.
but if you think about how it got to this point, this is almost an inevitability.
Lets suppose that a country wised up, and tried to crack down on this sort of thing. Or better yet, all countries did this at the same time! What would happen?
At first, things would be sweet - the "proper" amount of tax (by proper, i mean similar taxing schemes for corporate entities as well as individuals) means more money to the gov't for social services etc.
However, a country might start thinking that they could attract move investment by making these laws a little more lax - tax incentives? tax breaks, or whatever else you name it. The thing is, companies that operate in a particular country does provide that country with useful output (in terms of jobs etc). It's in a country's best interest to attract as many businesses as possible. This leads to the sort of behaviour we see today - lobby groups have power, because they actually do!
I don't think equality is achievable. Not realistically.
Those employees would be paying income tax at any job. The benefit is squarely to Apple owners. I really don't get the attitude of people who defend these companies paying almost no taxes. The same people must support billionaires paying 10% tax while the rest of us pay 25%+.
These companies pay almost no taxes yet feed off our public universities, court systems, patent and trademark offices, copyright offices, public airwaves, highways, federal banking infrastructure, etc. It's sick.