[misterbishop]

Corporations receive hundreds of millions in direct public subsidy: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-12/boeing-grabs...

Corporations benefit greatly from costly American military efforts abroad: http://money.msn.com/investing/10-companies-profiting-most-f...

The Federal government negotiates international trade deals on behalf of corporations: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/12/11/e...

Corporations make massive profits based on the findings of publicly-funded scientific research: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1008268

Corporations pay their employees so little that regular people have to subsidize their income: http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-w...

This is not a question of being "taxed twice". Corporations are the recipients of incalculable public welfare, and they generate billions in profit. Of course they should be taxed. They should be taxed progressively according to their income.

And the idea that the United States doesn't provide an "attractive climate" for corporations is just completely insane.

Also, this article is poorly written. Next time, use http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

[oksawe]

Thank you. I almost lost it reading the article and the comments here.

Corporations also heavily use the court system, benefit from a publicly paid education system, roads, infrastructure... I could go on and on.

[misterbishop]

The highest positions in government are stacked with former/future corporate employees. Our former vice president was the CEO of Halliburton. Our current attorney general was a partner at one of the largest corporate law firms in the world. This is the norm not the exception.

So the idea that there's friction between corporations and "The Government" is just not serious. The government largely functions to keep American corporations happy and profitable.

[zaroth]

I think you misunderstand the concept. It's not that we should never tax all that money, but the theory that you can tax it more simply, fairly, and efficiently by taxing those same dollars but only at certain times.

For example, some states tax corporations based on their total assets. And we already charge taxes whenever money moves out of a corporation (sales tax, income tax, capital gains tax).

The point is you shouldn't have to tax dollars on the way in, dollars at rest, AND dollars on the way out just to allocate the common expense.