3 ms·
Is your argument that, say, Google, expected fines reaching into billions of dollars, but understood that they would end up with cash in their pocket by heavily
by oh_sigh 7y ago
Is your argument that, say, Google, expected fines reaching into billions of dollars, but understood that they would end up with cash in their pocket by heavily avoiding taxes and just paying the fine?
That seems like a risky game to play, because you don't know if the fines are going to be $1B or something more important like $100B or something.
- dathinab 7y agoThat is pretty much the game Google and co played at least more than one or two times. Last pre-COVID19 example was probably Facebook trying to circumvent the idea behind GDPR by claiming their user use facebook because the _want_ advertisements and _the only way_ to provide customized advertisements is by thoroughly tracking everything the user does and therefore the they don't need any additional opt. in/out from the user. Which is both pretty much not quite true. (In GDPR there is a clause that e.g. if you sign a contract they contract doesn't need to state that the contract will store your name provided through the required name field and similar, you still need permission if you use the name for anything but "the contract", like e.g. statistics).
- ineedasername 7y agoYes, this is precisely what companies gamble on. Take a look at the Double Irish [0] and then at the Dutch Sandwich. [1] These are accounting methods the deliberately take advantage of loops holes and arbitraging of tax regulations between jurisdictions, knowing full well some jurisdictions will take issue with it and it will be a fight. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Sandwich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Sandwich