Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCorporate America is Hiding Two Trillion Dollars in Profit From the IRS
The largest American multinational companies parked an additional $206 billion of profits in offshore accounts last year, according to Bloomberg, bringing the total amount of profits stashed where U.S. tax officials cant touch them up to about two trillion dollars.
The 307 companies that Bloomberg examined now hold a combined $1.95 trillion offshore, allowing them to avoid paying U.S. taxes on those earnings. The majority of the total is concentrated in just a few corporate hands. The largest 22 of those companies hold more offshore than the other 285 combined.
General Electric leads the pack, with $110 billion held offshore. Tech companies like Microsoft ($76.4 billion), Apple ($54.4 billion), IBM ($52.3 billion), and Google ($38.9 billion) also dominate, along with drug companies like Pfizer ($69 billion) and Merck ($57.1). The tech giants have drastically accelerated their offshore holdings in recent years, with Microsoft and Google more than doubling and Apple more than quadrupling offshore profit holdings from 2010 to 2013.
This propensity for profit-stashing among tech companies brought scrutiny from Congress last year, with committee reports and a Senate hearing where Apple CEO Tim Cook was called on to justify his firms tax behavior. That scrutiny exposed the complexities of how Apple pulls off its tax avoidance scheme through a set of Ireland-based subsidiary companies, but it also underscored that everything these companies are doing is legal. The current international corporate tax system encourages countries like Ireland, Luxembourg, and others to race each other to the bottom of the business tax rate barrel.
The 307 companies that Bloomberg examined now hold a combined $1.95 trillion offshore, allowing them to avoid paying U.S. taxes on those earnings. The majority of the total is concentrated in just a few corporate hands. The largest 22 of those companies hold more offshore than the other 285 combined.
General Electric leads the pack, with $110 billion held offshore. Tech companies like Microsoft ($76.4 billion), Apple ($54.4 billion), IBM ($52.3 billion), and Google ($38.9 billion) also dominate, along with drug companies like Pfizer ($69 billion) and Merck ($57.1). The tech giants have drastically accelerated their offshore holdings in recent years, with Microsoft and Google more than doubling and Apple more than quadrupling offshore profit holdings from 2010 to 2013.
This propensity for profit-stashing among tech companies brought scrutiny from Congress last year, with committee reports and a Senate hearing where Apple CEO Tim Cook was called on to justify his firms tax behavior. That scrutiny exposed the complexities of how Apple pulls off its tax avoidance scheme through a set of Ireland-based subsidiary companies, but it also underscored that everything these companies are doing is legal. The current international corporate tax system encourages countries like Ireland, Luxembourg, and others to race each other to the bottom of the business tax rate barrel.
THE REST:
http://www.nationofchange.org/corporate-america-hiding-2-trillion-profit-irs-1394807072
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 723 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (19)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Corporate America is Hiding Two Trillion Dollars in Profit From the IRS (Original Post)
Triana
Mar 2014
OP
Catherina
(35,568 posts)1. Unfortunately my thoughts aren't fit to print. n/t
adirondacker
(2,921 posts)2. Mmmultinationals strike again! nt
Iwasthere
(3,168 posts)3. And the IRS focuses most of their resources on low income families
For the purpose of Fear! The uber rich haven't the same fear. THEY can hide their $$$$$$$$$$$$ (in plain sight!)
msongs
(67,413 posts)4. our congress and president are ok with this so where's the problem? nt
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)5. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)6. k&r
Octafish
(55,745 posts)7. Corporations are people, my friend.
Crooked people.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)8. Bring it back and tax it.
Tax it at the 50-percent pre-Trickle Down rate; and add a penalty for offshoring of 50-percent.
Then, they won't do it anymore.