
Apple, Google, Microsoft Avoid Taxes By Keeping Billions In Profits Offshore - yuxt
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/microsoft-taxes-profits-offshore_n_1901398.html
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bac1000
Taxes don't have to be this complicated and loophole filled. Almost any scheme
you can think of would be better. A flat tax would be fine and save us so much
grief.

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dalke
Since you likely don't mean a true flat rate tax (do you allow deductions and
exemptions? is payroll tax factored in? and a flat tax ignores some fixed
lower costs, like food, housing, and heat), then I don't see a flat tax as
being any more simpler or less grief-ful than, say, a mildly progressive tax.

As for "don't have to be this complicated", I completely agree. Where I live
now, the government does your taxes for you, sends you the paperwork, which
you can verify, fix if incorrect, sign, and send in.

I think this doesn't happen in the US because 1) companies make money with
having loopholes, so they push for loopholes, 2) politicians fund their
campaigns with said money, 3) tax preparation companies would lose money, so
they would also be against this scheme, and 4) various people are morally
opposed to both a well-run government and taxes, so would rather throw the
baby out with the bathwater than work on an improved system.

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bac1000
I'm not a anarchist, but I am a libertarian of sorts, so I also want small
government, limited social engineering, and limited central planning. I don't
care if it is flat or mildly progressive if it's simple to implement. There
certainly are reasons others want to keep things status quo, as you pointed
out. There is just so much wasted energy around taxes it drives me crazy.

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jr_sci
Microsoft has clearly stated that the Tax laws are outdated and needs to be
improved. Till, then major corporations will keep taking advantage of its
loophole.

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nu2ycombinator
Another reason for govt to reduce tax and bring all the money into the country

