Web of Tax Shelters Saved Apple Billions, Inquiry Finds

mspohr writes with news that Apple might be in a bit of hot water over its policy of offshoring revenues to favorable tax jurisdictions. Only they take it a step further, from the article: "Apple relied on a 'complex web of offshore entities' and U.S. tax loopholes to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes on $44 billion in offshore income over the past four years ... The maker of iPhones and iPads used at least three foreign subsidiaries that it claims are not 'tax resident in any nation' to help it avoid paying billions in 'otherwise taxable offshore income,' the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said in a statement yesterday."

Outrage!

[paiute]

Congress needs to mount an investigation to find the batch of idiots who wrote these tax laws which allow corporations to do this!

Best analogy I've heard

[Mr_Silver]

Google, Amazon and Apple are like those people who turn up to a "bring a bottle" party with a litre of supermarket own brand cola and then proceed to drink the Wyborowa vodka and Hendricks gin all night. They may upset a lot of people, but they've not technically broken any rules.

If governments feel that companies (that follow their rules) still manage to pay too little tax - then the onus should be on the government to change them. Anything else they do is just blowing hot air.