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Your next iPhone could cost more...

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  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

    Just because it's "legal" doesn't mean it's right: that is tax evasion / avoidance (I'm never clear on the difference) on a massive scale using practices they probably repeat in all territories. Which means that they don't contribute to the societies they depend on to provide the customers: they don't pay for the police, fire, or other emergency services; the legal system that protects their copyrights, that prosecutes those who steal from them; the penal system that jails people that contravene. They don't pay for the armed forces, and financial systems that provide them with a more-or-less stable society to buy their products. Instead, their share of that burden falls on you, me, and everybody else who does pay taxes whether they use Apple products or not. Is that right and fair? Legality be damned - any person or company rich enough seems to make it's own law, and protest like heck when it seems that protection should be removed.

    Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

    L Offline
    L Offline
    Lost User
    wrote on last edited by
    #7

    Ireland and Apple agreed to a rate. Apple paid it and became the largest taxpayer in Ireland. Now... years later your lovely EU decides they want more money. How on Earth is that fair? Why would any business want to do business in Europe when they can retroactively change the rules.

    In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

    OriginalGriffO L R X M 5 Replies Last reply
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    • L Lost User

      Read Apple's letter to Europe on Irish tax decision | The Verge[^] Personally I hope foreign companies and foreign governments proceed with a scorched earth reaction. Pull all European investment, shutter all European facilities, fire all European employees (based in Europe and elsewhere) , shut-down services to all European citizens / businesses and fine / tax the f*** out of all European companies operating outside of Europe. Let Europeans live with the monster they've created.

      In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

      W Offline
      W Offline
      W Balboos GHB
      wrote on last edited by
      #8

      I sing in harmony with your song!

      Ravings en masse^

      "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

      "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • F Foothill

        According to a post in the BBC's live blog on this, the American Treasury Department is claiming that Apple could claim that $13bn on their taxes over here. An interesting development.

        if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016

        W Offline
        W Offline
        W Balboos GHB
        wrote on last edited by
        #9

        If apple paid their taxes over here. Many of the giant US corporations use the bloody EU as a tax haven.

        Ravings en masse^

        "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

        "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

        L F 2 Replies Last reply
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        • R Rage

          Mike Mullikin wrote:

          Read Apple's letter to Europe on Irish tax decision | The Verge[^]

          Ohhh, how moving. Hold my beer while I try to shed a tear. As for the rest, you are mixing up a lot of things. I am not sure the big four are paying lots of taxes in the US neither.

          Do not escape reality : improve reality !

          L Offline
          L Offline
          Lost User
          wrote on last edited by
          #10

          Rage wrote:

          As for the rest, you are mixing up a lot of things.

          Like what? Apple and Ireland agreed on a tax rate. Apple paid it. The EU (not Ireland) wants more money and retroactively changes the rules to get it. What exactly have I mixed up?

          In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

          R M 2 Replies Last reply
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          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            Just because it's "legal" doesn't mean it's right: that is tax evasion / avoidance (I'm never clear on the difference) on a massive scale using practices they probably repeat in all territories. Which means that they don't contribute to the societies they depend on to provide the customers: they don't pay for the police, fire, or other emergency services; the legal system that protects their copyrights, that prosecutes those who steal from them; the penal system that jails people that contravene. They don't pay for the armed forces, and financial systems that provide them with a more-or-less stable society to buy their products. Instead, their share of that burden falls on you, me, and everybody else who does pay taxes whether they use Apple products or not. Is that right and fair? Legality be damned - any person or company rich enough seems to make it's own law, and protest like heck when it seems that protection should be removed.

            Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

            R Offline
            R Offline
            Rage
            wrote on last edited by
            #11

            I have been a militant for banning tax evasions for years (I mean, actively, here not to mention it[^]). If you take only one year of the money yearly put in tax havens (€800 billions - that is 800,000,000,000€), you'd be able to feed countries in need for several decades. For all things that go wrong in our world, this one is certainly one of the biggest and the cause to most of other "worldwide" problems. And ironically, also probably one of the easiest to solve, if it weren't for the people who are able to solve it ... to be the first who make profit out of it :~

            Do not escape reality : improve reality !

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

              Just because it's "legal" doesn't mean it's right: that is tax evasion / avoidance (I'm never clear on the difference) on a massive scale using practices they probably repeat in all territories. Which means that they don't contribute to the societies they depend on to provide the customers: they don't pay for the police, fire, or other emergency services; the legal system that protects their copyrights, that prosecutes those who steal from them; the penal system that jails people that contravene. They don't pay for the armed forces, and financial systems that provide them with a more-or-less stable society to buy their products. Instead, their share of that burden falls on you, me, and everybody else who does pay taxes whether they use Apple products or not. Is that right and fair? Legality be damned - any person or company rich enough seems to make it's own law, and protest like heck when it seems that protection should be removed.

              Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

              M Offline
              M Offline
              Mladen Jankovic
              wrote on last edited by
              #12

              OriginalGriff wrote:

              Just because it's "legal" doesn't mean it's right: that is tax

              Agreed!

              GeoGame for Windows Phone | The Lounge Explained In 5 Minutes

              T 1 Reply Last reply
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              • L Lost User

                Rage wrote:

                As for the rest, you are mixing up a lot of things.

                Like what? Apple and Ireland agreed on a tax rate. Apple paid it. The EU (not Ireland) wants more money and retroactively changes the rules to get it. What exactly have I mixed up?

                In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                R Offline
                R Offline
                Rage
                wrote on last edited by
                #13

                Mike Mullikin wrote:

                What exactly have I mixed up?

                Your hate for Europe and the Apple case.

                Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                L 1 Reply Last reply
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                • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                  Apple should repay Ireland 13bn euros, European Commission rules - BBC News[^] That's a serious tax bill! And it seems well deserved, hopefully it'll move on to Amazon and Google, who do the same thing, apparently. That really is ridiculous: 0.005% tax rate in 2014? I'd love that for me!

                  Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                  Z Offline
                  Z Offline
                  ZurdoDev
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #14

                  I'm confused. My last iPhone cost null and my next iPhone will also cost null. But null != null. Is null < null or is null > null? :confused:

                  OriginalGriff wrote:

                  0.005% tax rate in 2014? I'd love that for me!

                  Do you have 28 children you can write off as dependents? :-\

                  There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                    Apple should repay Ireland 13bn euros, European Commission rules - BBC News[^] That's a serious tax bill! And it seems well deserved, hopefully it'll move on to Amazon and Google, who do the same thing, apparently. That really is ridiculous: 0.005% tax rate in 2014? I'd love that for me!

                    Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                    W Offline
                    W Offline
                    W Balboos GHB
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #15

                    Quote:

                    Beyond the obvious targeting of Apple, the most profound and harmful effect of this ruling will be on investment and job creation in Europe. Using the Commission’s theory, every company in Ireland and across Europe is suddenly at risk of being subjected to taxes under laws that never existed.

                    The questions to be answered are (1) is Ireland a sovereign nation or not? (2) if a contract is made with a sovereign nation, can others decide they don't like it and change it? (3) and finally, who'd be stupid enough to set up business anywhere in the EU if anything can happen at any time.
                    Are these nations or vassal states? If the later, shouldn't they drop their UN membership in favor of a single one representing the all (like the US) ?

                    Ravings en masse^

                    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                    T 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • W W Balboos GHB

                      If apple paid their taxes over here. Many of the giant US corporations use the bloody EU as a tax haven.

                      Ravings en masse^

                      "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                      "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #16

                      W∴ Balboos wrote:

                      If apple paid their taxes over here.

                      Apple pays about $15 billion in US federal taxes every year. They are exceeded only by Exxon Mobil and Chevron. Surely you can check your facts. :rolleyes:

                      In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                      W 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • L Lost User

                        Ireland and Apple agreed to a rate. Apple paid it and became the largest taxpayer in Ireland. Now... years later your lovely EU decides they want more money. How on Earth is that fair? Why would any business want to do business in Europe when they can retroactively change the rules.

                        In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                        OriginalGriff
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #17

                        Because the original agreement was unfair: in 2014 Apple paid £12M taxes in the UK, on profits estimated at £2,000M because it's "head office" where tax was paid (at a rate of 0.005% instead of 36%) was in Ireland thanks to that agreement. Yes, that made it the largest tax payer in Ireland - but that's like being the person paying the most personal income tax in Greece: £20 per annum instead of £19.50! :laugh: And remember: Ireland and Greece were two of the countries that the EU had to bail out because their tax revenues weren't big enough after the crash. If Apple et al had been paying "fair" taxes instead of "legal" taxes the bail outs would have been a lot smaller...

                        Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                        L R 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • R Rage

                          Mike Mullikin wrote:

                          What exactly have I mixed up?

                          Your hate for Europe and the Apple case.

                          Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #18

                          :laugh: So nothing.

                          In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                            Because the original agreement was unfair: in 2014 Apple paid £12M taxes in the UK, on profits estimated at £2,000M because it's "head office" where tax was paid (at a rate of 0.005% instead of 36%) was in Ireland thanks to that agreement. Yes, that made it the largest tax payer in Ireland - but that's like being the person paying the most personal income tax in Greece: £20 per annum instead of £19.50! :laugh: And remember: Ireland and Greece were two of the countries that the EU had to bail out because their tax revenues weren't big enough after the crash. If Apple et al had been paying "fair" taxes instead of "legal" taxes the bail outs would have been a lot smaller...

                            Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                            L Offline
                            L Offline
                            Lost User
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #19

                            So you'll be OK if the UK tax man comes to your door and says "Sorry Griff but we're charging you back taxes despite the fact that you paid the exact amount owed at the time. We decided it really wasn't "fair"? Right? :laugh:

                            In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                            OriginalGriffO H 2 Replies Last reply
                            0
                            • L Lost User

                              W∴ Balboos wrote:

                              If apple paid their taxes over here.

                              Apple pays about $15 billion in US federal taxes every year. They are exceeded only by Exxon Mobil and Chevron. Surely you can check your facts. :rolleyes:

                              In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                              W Offline
                              W Offline
                              W Balboos GHB
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #20

                              Ouch! I obsessed on how they're willing to bring in all of these accumulated off-shore assets if they get a discount on their taxes (along w/Google and others). They are two different concepts - evasion vs. what they're paying - and I messed up.

                              Ravings en masse^

                              "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                              "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                              L 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • W W Balboos GHB

                                Ouch! I obsessed on how they're willing to bring in all of these accumulated off-shore assets if they get a discount on their taxes (along w/Google and others). They are two different concepts - evasion vs. what they're paying - and I messed up.

                                Ravings en masse^

                                "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                L Offline
                                L Offline
                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #21

                                The US corporate tax rate of 35% is obnoxious. It's no wonder American companies have $2,000,000,000,000 (yep, that's 2 trillion) in off shore accounts.

                                In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                                T B 2 Replies Last reply
                                0
                                • L Lost User

                                  Ireland and Apple agreed to a rate. Apple paid it and became the largest taxpayer in Ireland. Now... years later your lovely EU decides they want more money. How on Earth is that fair? Why would any business want to do business in Europe when they can retroactively change the rules.

                                  In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                                  L Offline
                                  L Offline
                                  Lost User
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #22

                                  Mike Mullikin wrote:

                                  fair

                                  What are you talking about, you're not a kindergartner - you should have no expectation that anything in real life is fair.

                                  L E 2 Replies Last reply
                                  0
                                  • W W Balboos GHB

                                    If apple paid their taxes over here. Many of the giant US corporations use the bloody EU as a tax haven.

                                    Ravings en masse^

                                    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                    F Offline
                                    F Offline
                                    Foothill
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #23

                                    As long as companies can pit government against government, they win. This works on all levels; local, provincial, and national. Alas, it makes you wonder if somebody is using international corporate taxes as yet another ploy for a single-currency world. Sigh.

                                    if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016

                                    W L 2 Replies Last reply
                                    0
                                    • L Lost User

                                      Mike Mullikin wrote:

                                      fair

                                      What are you talking about, you're not a kindergartner - you should have no expectation that anything in real life is fair.

                                      L Offline
                                      L Offline
                                      Lost User
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #24

                                      harold aptroot wrote:

                                      you should have no expectation that anything in real life is fair.

                                      Ummmm... Griff used the idea of fairness as to why Apple should pay more taxes. Surely you won't begrudge me for throwing it back at him?

                                      In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                                      L 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • L Lost User

                                        So you'll be OK if the UK tax man comes to your door and says "Sorry Griff but we're charging you back taxes despite the fact that you paid the exact amount owed at the time. We decided it really wasn't "fair"? Right? :laugh:

                                        In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. ~ Ronald Reagan

                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriff
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #25

                                        You mean the Internal Revenue Service doesn't do that? :omg: The Inland Revenue can revue any tax info you submit and change how much you owe them up or down. Down is rare. :laugh:

                                        Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                        L K 3 Replies Last reply
                                        0
                                        • F Foothill

                                          As long as companies can pit government against government, they win. This works on all levels; local, provincial, and national. Alas, it makes you wonder if somebody is using international corporate taxes as yet another ploy for a single-currency world. Sigh.

                                          if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016

                                          W Offline
                                          W Offline
                                          W Balboos GHB
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #26

                                          Foothill wrote:

                                          yet another ploy for a single-currency world.

                                          if only that were the goal. It's a no-currency world their working towards. That's unbelievably scary.

                                          Ravings en masse^

                                          "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                          "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                          F 1 Reply Last reply
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