4 ms·

If the "tech economy" is going to hoover up consumers from all over the world, it should expect to contribute it's fair share of the costs of maintaining civili

by mvc 4y ago

If the "tech economy" is going to hoover up consumers from all over the world, it should expect to contribute it's fair share of the costs of maintaining civilisation in those societies. Maybe if they didn't restructure their organizations so as to avoid taxes in all but the lowest tax jurisdictions, they wouldn't be fined by places where they actually make the money.

spoonjim 4y ago
“Deserve ain’t got nothing to do with it.” Both tech companies and governments are doing what they are doing because they can.
cscurmudgeon 4y ago
> If the "tech economy" is going to hoover up consumers from all over the world, it should expect to contribute it's fair share of the costs of maintaining civilisation in those societies. How is this not different from how a mafia operates?
- paulryanrogers 4y ago
  Who is being compared to the mafia? Outsized, international conglomerates, accountable only to shareholders or governments representing the public?
  - cscurmudgeon 4y ago
    Really? If they were accountable only to shareholders would you even have the post here where they have to pay fines? Governments represent public. Sure. But they are slaves to other corporations https://reason.com/2021/02/18/everybodys-wrong-about-the-facebook-murdoch-standoff-in-australia/?amp https://reason.com/2021/02/18/everybodys-wrong-about-the-fac...
    - paulryanrogers 4y ago
      The problem appears to be that the fines are a wrist slap, so cost of doing business once entrenched. Regulatory capture is also a problem. I prefer governments with less corruption, debilitating fines, companies less powerful than nation states, and robust antitrust enforcement to maintain healthy competition.
drstewart 4y ago
>Maybe if they didn't restructure their organizations so as to avoid taxes in all but the lowest tax jurisdictions, they wouldn't be fined by places where they actually make the money. So to be clear, these fines aren't legitimate but instead are backdoor taxes meant to compensate for the government's inability to capture the taxes they've established? Is that your position here? And you're insinuating this is a good thing?
- spoonjim 4y ago
  It’s more like an import tariff in disguise. Countries other than the US, China, and Sweden have been under-successful in tech so they tax the exporters who supply their markets with these fines.
- mvc 4y ago
  The good thing would be for the companies to report profits where they make them but apparently we can't rely on their good nature to do that. I don't have a problem with governments resorting to tactics like this in order to get market participants to pay their fair share. But then, I'm not a billionaire and never will be so it aint ever gonna affect me.

by mvc 4y ago

spoonjim 4y ago

“Deserve ain’t got nothing to do with it.” Both tech companies and governments are doing what they are doing because they can.

cscurmudgeon 4y ago

> If the "tech economy" is going to hoover up consumers from all over the world, it should expect to contribute it's fair share of the costs of maintaining civilisation in those societies. How is this not different from how a mafia operates?

paulryanrogers 4y ago
Who is being compared to the mafia? Outsized, international conglomerates, accountable only to shareholders or governments representing the public?
- cscurmudgeon 4y ago
  Really? If they were accountable only to shareholders would you even have the post here where they have to pay fines? Governments represent public. Sure. But they are slaves to other corporations https://reason.com/2021/02/18/everybodys-wrong-about-the-facebook-murdoch-standoff-in-australia/?amp https://reason.com/2021/02/18/everybodys-wrong-about-the-fac...
  - paulryanrogers 4y ago
    The problem appears to be that the fines are a wrist slap, so cost of doing business once entrenched. Regulatory capture is also a problem. I prefer governments with less corruption, debilitating fines, companies less powerful than nation states, and robust antitrust enforcement to maintain healthy competition.

drstewart 4y ago

>Maybe if they didn't restructure their organizations so as to avoid taxes in all but the lowest tax jurisdictions, they wouldn't be fined by places where they actually make the money. So to be clear, these fines aren't legitimate but instead are backdoor taxes meant to compensate for the government's inability to capture the taxes they've established? Is that your position here? And you're insinuating this is a good thing?

spoonjim 4y ago
It’s more like an import tariff in disguise. Countries other than the US, China, and Sweden have been under-successful in tech so they tax the exporters who supply their markets with these fines.
mvc 4y ago
The good thing would be for the companies to report profits where they make them but apparently we can't rely on their good nature to do that. I don't have a problem with governments resorting to tactics like this in order to get market participants to pay their fair share. But then, I'm not a billionaire and never will be so it aint ever gonna affect me.