Do other countries' companies pay something closer to the official tax rate?
It's also a good idea to keep in mind that Europe can be a little more corporatist than the US. e.g. a German auto company might pay extra taxes in order to give their future engineers subsidized education, or to ensure that unemployment benefits are high enough that when they fire people, they can hire them back a year or two later. American companies often have much more diffused benefits.
It's also a good idea to keep in mind that Europe can be a little more corporatist than the US. e.g. a German auto company might pay extra taxes in order to give their future engineers subsidized education, or to ensure that unemployment benefits are high enough that when they fire people, they can hire them back a year or two later. American companies often have much more diffused benefits.