"Instead, airlines sometimes buy more planes than they really need. Energy companies drill more holes. Drug companies conduct research with only marginal prospe

"Instead, airlines sometimes buy more planes than they really need. Energy companies drill more holes. Drug companies conduct research with only marginal prospects of success." I wish the article in some way backed up these assertions. While corporation (and wealthy individuals, too) may perform complex machinations to avoid taxes (e.g., the double Dutch Irish jig, or whatever its real name is) they'd only do so if in the end the maneuvering has a net financial benefit. Even with tax benefits idle capital resources (planes you don't need) or other wasted expenditures aren't good business. There are also wider-ranging benefits to the forms of investment granted tax benefits. Capital expenditures presumably benefit other companies, and therefore other (hopefully local) workers. Certainly that would be the case for a purchase of Boeing planes (and probably even an Airbus, given the global nature of the aerospace component industry). Energy companies drilling holes and drug company research involves paying lots of salary (which means payroll taxes, income taxes, and, well, economic growth). What could be construed as the true deadweight loss is the time and effort expended by tax attorneys and accountants...