Not Just Apple, How Microsoft Sidestepped Billions In State Taxes 595
reifman writes "Apple's not the only company to save billions in taxes through Nevada as The New York Times reported yesterday. Here's how Microsoft's saved $4.37 billion in tax payments to Washington State and how it's led indirectly to $4 billion in K-12 and Higher Education cuts since 2008. 18% of University of Washington freshman are now foreigners (because they pay more) up from 2% six years ago. Washington State ranks 47th nationally in 18-24 yo college enrollment and 48th in K-12 class size. This hasn't stopped the architect of the company's Nevada tax dodge from writing in The Seattle Times: 'it's [Washington] state's paramount duty to provide for the public education of all children. Unfortunately, steady declines in public resources now threaten our ability to live up to that commitment.' Yes, indeed."
And Google (Score:4, Informative)
Since we're taking on the tech giants, here's Google.
Google 2.4% Rate Shows How $60 Billion Lost to Tax Loopholes
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-21/google-2-4-rate-shows-how-60-billion-u-s-revenue-lost-to-tax-loopholes.html [bloomberg.com]
Re:As a University of Washington student... (Score:4, Informative)
They're using the infrastructure in Washington aren't they?
Re:As a University of Washington student... (Score:5, Informative)
The only ones to blame, are not Microsoft who followed the tax laws, but the poltiicians who failed to REWRITE the tax laws such that MS and other corporations would have to pay on all their income (since they reside in washington).
Failed to REWRITE the tax laws?
I see you are totally unfamiliar with Washington State tax policy.
The state has bent over backwards giving concession after concession to Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, to keep them from moving out of state lock stock and barrel. Not only have the rewritten the tax laws, they have done so repeatedly and done so in a manor that these companies qualify for special exemptions, carefully worded so as not to call attention, but exemptions that realistically can only be taken advantage of by these big companies.
See http://dor.wa.gov/content/findtaxesandrates/taxincentives/incentiveprograms.aspx [wa.gov] for a partial list of highly preferential tax dodges.
Once passed, these tax breaks are never subjected to a vote again [washington...ywatch.org].
Re:what about slashdot? (Score:5, Informative)
I hate to nitpick, but that's not the Sabbath. Jews think it's Saturday, Christians think it's Sunday. That doesn't mean one or the other is right, and for the non-Christian, non-Jew audience, you might clarify.
They are closed on the Jewish Sabbath, actually Shabbat, which is a specific day, not the Sabbath which is dependent on religious affiliation.
The history of who decided when it is, is kinda important for when you are describing it. Chick-fil-A is closed on one Sabbath, B&H is closed on the other. It helps to specify when there is disagreement, in this case, I would not even use "Sabbath" generically, I would specify which religion. Or if discussing Judaism, Shabbat might be better since that's the way I have read it. Plus you score Lebowski fan points.