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Your conclusion does not follow from your the issue you outline. The unfair advantage could easily be removed by simply not taxing corporations at all. Taxing s

Your conclusion does not follow from your the issue you outline. The unfair advantage could easily be removed by simply not taxing corporations at all. Taxing someone (or in this case, a whole bunch of people) just to keep them down seems like quite a bad motivation.

legulere 10y ago
So governments should print the money they need instead?
- Pungsnigel 10y ago
  I've made no arguments about if its right or wrong to collect taxes.
  - legulere 10y ago
    But you assume that not taxing companies is an option.
    - Pungsnigel 10y ago
      Sure. Because it is. Alternatives could be to simply tax transactions, tax capital, tax people or not taxing anyone at all.
sandstrom 10y ago
That's a separate argument. Laissez-faire vs. government (or the optimal level of taxation). My argument is that a set of tax laws exist today and as long as they do all companies should be treated the same. > just to keep them down As an aside, Ireland's corporate tax is 12.5%, roughly 1/3 of the US corporate tax rate (35%). So it's not like Apple is being horribly 'kept down' here.
- Pungsnigel 10y ago
  Doesn't have to be, no. There are other things to tax than corporations, people and transactions being the obvious candidates.
Daishiman 10y ago
Unless Apple's going to start paying to keep the roads, energy infrastructure and primary education that keeps their business and staff going they better start paying up.
- Pungsnigel 10y ago
  Its not really Apple's responsibility though.
  - notahacker 10y ago
    Well, legally it is if the tax code says it is (or multinational agreements say the tax code should say it is). And ethically, I don't see why an artificial entity which exists purely because governments are benevolent enough to bestow special privileges like limited liability upon its shareholders should carry less responsibility for the maintenance of the civil society required for its continued existence than the average person living in that country.

legulere 10y ago

So governments should print the money they need instead?

Pungsnigel 10y ago
I've made no arguments about if its right or wrong to collect taxes.
- legulere 10y ago
  But you assume that not taxing companies is an option.
  - Pungsnigel 10y ago
    Sure. Because it is. Alternatives could be to simply tax transactions, tax capital, tax people or not taxing anyone at all.

sandstrom 10y ago

That's a separate argument. Laissez-faire vs. government (or the optimal level of taxation). My argument is that a set of tax laws exist today and as long as they do all companies should be treated the same. > just to keep them down As an aside, Ireland's corporate tax is 12.5%, roughly 1/3 of the US corporate tax rate (35%). So it's not like Apple is being horribly 'kept down' here.

Pungsnigel 10y ago
Doesn't have to be, no. There are other things to tax than corporations, people and transactions being the obvious candidates.

Daishiman 10y ago

Unless Apple's going to start paying to keep the roads, energy infrastructure and primary education that keeps their business and staff going they better start paying up.

Pungsnigel 10y ago
Its not really Apple's responsibility though.
- notahacker 10y ago
  Well, legally it is if the tax code says it is (or multinational agreements say the tax code should say it is). And ethically, I don't see why an artificial entity which exists purely because governments are benevolent enough to bestow special privileges like limited liability upon its shareholders should carry less responsibility for the maintenance of the civil society required for its continued existence than the average person living in that country.