On: Pfizer’s Big Breakthrough: Global Tax Avoidance

[brandonmenc]

The acceptable rate is that at which the accounting and legal cost of shuffling the company around for a tax break doesn't make sense.

That may be closer to zero than you'd like, but it's certainly more than zero.

[charlesdm → brandonmenc]

Exactly this. If the US would have a similar tax rate and policy to Ireland, this merger might not have happened. Many of these transactions are happening because they deliver quick, untapped gains. You just need to unlock them by doing an inversion deal. Or in other words, even an overpriced deal pays for itself.

[Fuzzwah → charlesdm]

But that can only happen if the US has a defense forces[1] spending similar to Ireland.

[1] This is just the obvious example, include here any where that the US gov out spends the Irish.