[liquidise]

There is no diversion about it. Remember that people, voting individuals in the US, have decidedly different stances on what "appropriate" amount of taxes should be. Business, particularly public ones, have a responsibility to their share holders to handle money as fiscally responsibly as they can.

From my perspective, Apple isn't "grabbing" anything. They are moving their money from Bank A to Bank B and paying a 20% fee on their balance simply for doing so. You may say this is a PR piece and a continued way to screw workers, but i see it differently. Apple had no need to repatriate this money. This is part of a conscious shift in their fiscal policy moving forward. It stands to benefit US workers a great deal more than them keeping these funds overseas.

[SapphireSun]

Paying their taxes and investing in technology and scientific progress would help workers even more.

[liquidise]

Would you mind clarifying what you mean? The implications i read in this comment are that Apple isn't paying taxes and do not invest in technology. Both are of course false, even before this announcement. I haven't fished through documents but i suspect Apple spends Billions on both every year.

[SapphireSun]

Apple lobbied for and received an incredible tax break for repatriating its money. It should be paying the full 35% corporate tax rate. Apple invests in some science and technology, that is true. However, for some reason, despite its fervent dedication to the arts and sciences, it hasn't figured out how to spend 200+ billion dollars. Weird.

[abritinthebay]

And they did that. This is paying the extra tax the US - and only the US - requires on repatriation

[SapphireSun]

Yet somehow they managed to avoid paying much tax elsewhere as well. Strange.

[seanmcdirmid]

They do pay taxes elsewhere. They are subject to each country's tax laws that they make income in. You are probably referring to the Irish/EU arrangement, but that has little bearing in Japan or China or wherever else China makes money.

[SapphireSun]

Your reference to the double Irish arrangement completely undercuts your point. You admit that they aren't paying substantial taxes in a huge market they participate in.

With respect to Japan and China, a multinational company, an effectively stateless entity (or possibly a state unto itself) can simply move to the most profitable country, thus forcing countries to compete for its tax dollars. Thus, the multinationals, unless resisted via solidarity, will cause a collapse in all nations treasuries.

[seanmcdirmid]

Apple must pay taxes where they make money. Apple's retail operations in China/Japan can't be moved to a less-tax country, it is physically impossible to be in China/Japan and not be in China/Japan at the same time! You simply cannot operate in a country without paying taxes, the EU rules being weird and an exception because of their one market principle.

[rlanday]

Ah, this is exactly the same reason no corporation can stay in business! (Since consumers can just buy from the one that has the lowest prices)

For this reason, we should encourage corporations to form cartels to avoid getting taken advantage of by disloyal consumers.