[jshute]

How can you blame them? They're playing by the rules, the same rules their competitors play by (Google also uses the double Irish). In that context, isn't it far better to pay single digit interest rates on money when you're backstopping it with overseas cash rather than taking a 35% haircut to repatriate the same? Finally, what odds do you place on the one time transfer of $88B to the US government with a love note ACTUALLY resulting in a better quality of life for US citizens? It seems to me that regardless of regressive policies and hero projects like walls and Mars trips, monetary policy is still trying to get people and companies to reinvest to spur growth vs. sitting on savings.

[GreaterFool]

Also, let's not forget that the offshore pile of money has already been taxed in jurisdictions where it was earned. The world is slightly bigger than US. If Apple sells an iPhone in Germany it pays taxes in Germany. It is a bit silly to then send the money home and pay another huge tax on top of it!

Yes, I'm aware that thanks to various tax shenanigans the offshore tax bill might be artificially low. If that was the case though, Apple would've cheated local governments and not the US government.

[Oletros]

> Also, let's not forget that the offshore pile of money has already been taxed in jurisdictions where it was earned.

No, it hasn't

When Apple (or Google) declare losses in a country like Spain something is very weird

[deepsun]

> If Apple sells an iPhone in Germany it pays taxes in Germany.

Not necessarily. See a comment above about New Zealand.

[GreaterFool]

As I've mentioned in my comment "thanks to various tax shenanigans the offshore tax bill might be artificially low". It would be up to New Zealand to investigate and make sure Apple pays it's due. But I don't see why US needs a slice of that particular pie.