[davidgaw]

Microsoft's Irish subsidiary paid zero tax because it owed zero tax—and there's no reason it should have paid, or that this should change in future, apart from the greed and envy of others who want to take money from others to which they are not entitled. Those who are unhappy at the taxes they are paying should perhaps take it up with the tax attorneys and/or legislators who have failed them.

[willtim]

In case you are unaware, tax is needed to pay for schools, universities, research, health care, social care, police, civil infrastructure, environmental agencies, regulators, defence, bank bailouts, pandemic bailouts, etc.

The Big tech firms benefit from all of the above, but are not contributing anything back. The system is broken and needs to be fixed, so let's not pretend there is no problem.

[dariosalvi78]

so those who are unhappy with paying taxes should probably stop using roads, schools, hospitals, drainage, defence, police, firemen, universities, grants, etc. There are a few places where such things do not exist: they don't do very well.

[throwaway210222]

I upvoted you [after the red brigade had had a pass :) ] because you raise an important point: imagine what the tax rates would be if politicians - armed with a police force and judiciary - knew that no other nation could complete by offering lower tax rates?

The corrupt bolsheviks where I live would ratchet it up to 95% in a few years. As would everyone else's government.