Starbucks paid virtually no UK tax, whereas a small local coffee shop has to pay corporation tax of 20% on their profits - low in comparison to most EU countries and a lot lower than the United States, but not as low as Starbucks who paid 0%. If you run a business in the UK you should pay the local taxes like everyone else.
If those numbers tell the real story, then I agree they should be taxed equally...at 0%
Where do you guys get off? 20% corporate tax...which is passed on to the consumer then 20% VAT on top of that??? Geeze
Fair is such a loaded word, especially with taxes. So let's not go there. Because I may break my iPad.
I agree. You always here the term "fair share" bandied about especially by politicians, but no one has yet quantified what a fair share is. I think I pay more than my "fair share" of taxes, but my city, state and federal governments think otherwise.
You do realize when tax breaks are given to business that the consumer makes up the difference, right? Take my state businesses pay very low taxes & no property tax, education funding has been cut, police forces etc., are being downsized, the roads & infrastructure are a decaying mess etc. The solution (from a Republican Governor & legislature) raise taxes. They have decided to raise taxes on citizens by taxing pensions, raising property taxes on the citizens & now trying to raise the sales tax to fix roads. There has to be some balance.
They make up the difference anyway. Every percentage point you raise corporate taxes, you also raise the prices of the products, and you make the company less competitive in your area so they move jobs to other areas that are more competitive.
(I am not talking about property tax -- while I disagree with the notion of property tax, businesses should pay property tax like everyone else depending on the amount of property they have, which is a proxy for their level of needed services)
Corporate taxes should be 0% . Your economy would be much better off and you would have a larger tax base with more jobs and more economic activity as businesses flocked to your state.
The "balance" you seek is by getting the government out of the business of a lot of what they do -- the biggest being transfer of wealth from the productive parts of society to the unproductive. Governments (state, national, all over the world) try and pander to the masses by overpromising benefits to be paid by someone else. In the long run it doesn't work.
These companies need to pay their share of taxes. Governments will get there tax money one way or the other. If they don't get it from corporations then they will raise the income taxes for individuals, who make far less money then these corporations.
These companies need to pay their share of taxes. Governments will get there tax money one way or the other. If they don't get it from corporations then they will raise the income taxes for individuals, who make far less money then these corporations.
I would rather pay the bill myself then have it further hiden in the cost of goods and services. It should be easy to see the true cost of government.
These companies need to pay their share of taxes. Governments will get there tax money one way or the other. If they don't get it from corporations then they will raise the income taxes for individuals, who make far less money then these corporations.
How do you propose we pay for police, infrastucure etc? A flat tax is still a tax.
I am against all taxes, however I think a flat tax (specifically, the FairTax) is a realistic alternative to the current tax code. The problem is that those in power seldom volunteer to give up their power voluntarily (if the FairTax was enacted, the IRS could be eliminated). It would take another massive economic collapse or widespread taxpayer revolt to get it implemented. Alternately, a constitutionally-minded president could conceivably expend all of their "political capital" to do so.
Police are a state matter, not a Federal matter and the states are free to pass whichever measures their people want to pay for "public services" or infrastructure, no matter how misguided. The Federal government has a simple charter, which has grown and grown and grown beyond its original purpose.
I am against all taxes, however I think a flat tax (specifically, the FairTax) is a realistic alternative to the current tax code. The problem is that those in power seldom volunteer to give up their power voluntarily. It would take another massive economic collapse or widespread taxpayer revolt to get it implemented. Alternately, a constitutionally-minded president could conceivably expend all of their "political capital" to do so.
Police are a state matter, not a Federal matter and the states are free to pass whichever measures their people want to pay for "public services" or infrastructure, no matter how misguided. The Federal government has a simple charter, which has grown and grown and grown beyond its original purpose.
A tax is a tax....bottomline it's money out of my pocket. If there are NO taxes, as you have stated you believe in, how is anything funded including defense?
A tax is a tax....bottomline it's money out of my pocket. If there are NO taxes, as you have stated you believe in, how is anything funded including defense?
I said I'm against all taxes, as I believe ultimately all taxes are misspent, however I'm also a constitutional Libertarian. Our Constitution allows Congress to "lay and collect" taxes. What those taxes will be is ultimately a battle between special interests, the public at large and politicians.
I said I'm against all taxes, as I believe ultimately all taxes are misspent, however I'm also a constitutional Libertarian. Our Constitution allows Congress to "lay and collect" taxes. What those taxes will be is ultimately a battle between special interests, the public at large and politicians.
So you are not against taxes. What you have issues with is the way that money is spent. Thanks for the clarification.
And just what is fair? Who gets to decide what "fair" is? My opinion, being a 34-year-old from a middle class family with a middle class income, is that everyone should pay the same percent of income in taxes. Many Americans, including the president, think that "fair" means the rich should pay a much higher percentage than others. However these same people who scream "fair share" on TV never explain what it really means or why fair and equal aren't the same when it comes to taxes. They also never define who is rich and who is middle class.
Equal relative to earnings would be one way to look at it. Equal as in the same amount clearly is not fair, that should be obvious. For that reason a sales tax at whatever percentage is clearly the most unfair tax of all. A sliding scale relative to earnings is generally regarded as fair. If you are privileged in the sense that you have the ability, the nous, wherewithal, the family, the energy, or somehow exist in a fortuitous place where money is plentiful but feel it is unfair that you should pay a higher percentage than your less well paid neighbours, by all means demote yourself and take a low pay job if you can bear it. Exactly what percentage is up for debate of course, but services need to be paid for one way or the other. I don't always approve of what governments do and I am all in favour of holding any government to task whether it is socialist or right wing, but I have yet to see a viable alternative. Anarchism is essentially just a set of ideals, a philosophy if you like. In practice there will always be some form of structured governance.
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Sales tax (VAT) is already 20% in the UK, increasing prices further to cover their corporation tax will only create more mess.
Corporations don't pay taxes, YOU do! If they have to fork out more money, they pass the buck to you!!! That's fact and so in the end you're only taxing yourself even more. The price of the product just goes up. It's as simple as that. VAT has nothing to do with anything. You're still paying the 20% on top of the higher priced product. There's no extra mess. All this is about is a huge money grab from Rich American company's. Facebook taxes really seem silly, same with Star Bucks and low to none being paid, but if the taxes are now even higher then the normal corporate taxes that's wrong also. So you'll be paying it. Corporations aren't going to just eat it. That's beyond silly and really naive.
Every other major western nation is going to follow suit. This is a tax loophole that needs to be closed. Good luck raising prices by 25% everywhere.
Who created these so called tax loopholes? GOVERNMENT!!! Corporations aren't going to let taxes just eat up their profits. If they have to raise prices 25%, they'll in the end be forced to do it. What does everywhere have to do with anything. If it's 25% everywhere, so be it. Losing money or no profit because of high taxes would be dumb!!!
In order to maintain profit margins, the selling prices of iPhones in the UK will go up as a result of the tax. Where do you think that the 25% comes from?
Well that's a joke. Apple prices in the UK are in £ and pretty much the same number for what you pay in $ so you pay $100 we pay £100.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whatyouneed
If those numbers tell the real story, then I agree they should be taxed equally...at 0%
Where do you guys get off? 20% corporate tax...which is passed on to the consumer then 20% VAT on top of that??? Geeze
Let me educate you good US citizens. The new 13" retina MBP is priced at $1299 on the US Apple site and £999 on the UK Apple site. £999 at current exchange rates is $1481. So when you pony up and pay what we do for the same product you can criticise our tax code.
Comments
If those numbers tell the real story, then I agree they should be taxed equally...at 0%
Where do you guys get off? 20% corporate tax...which is passed on to the consumer then 20% VAT on top of that??? Geeze
I agree. You always here the term "fair share" bandied about especially by politicians, but no one has yet quantified what a fair share is. I think I pay more than my "fair share" of taxes, but my city, state and federal governments think otherwise.
You do realize when tax breaks are given to business that the consumer makes up the difference, right? Take my state businesses pay very low taxes & no property tax, education funding has been cut, police forces etc., are being downsized, the roads & infrastructure are a decaying mess etc. The solution (from a Republican Governor & legislature) raise taxes. They have decided to raise taxes on citizens by taxing pensions, raising property taxes on the citizens & now trying to raise the sales tax to fix roads. There has to be some balance.
They make up the difference anyway. Every percentage point you raise corporate taxes, you also raise the prices of the products, and you make the company less competitive in your area so they move jobs to other areas that are more competitive.
(I am not talking about property tax -- while I disagree with the notion of property tax, businesses should pay property tax like everyone else depending on the amount of property they have, which is a proxy for their level of needed services)
Corporate taxes should be 0% . Your economy would be much better off and you would have a larger tax base with more jobs and more economic activity as businesses flocked to your state.
The "balance" you seek is by getting the government out of the business of a lot of what they do -- the biggest being transfer of wealth from the productive parts of society to the unproductive. Governments (state, national, all over the world) try and pander to the masses by overpromising benefits to be paid by someone else. In the long run it doesn't work.
I though we kicked the Redcoats ass once do we have to do it again ?
Yes but we came back in 1812 and burned down the White House. Great comment by the way, really gets to the heart of the tax debate.
Its the only answer.
Less government = less taxes. That's the true problem.
It quite clearly is not the only answer.
The answer is a global tax code.
Clearly.
I get it -- April Fools, eh!?
I would rather pay the bill myself then have it further hiden in the cost of goods and services. It should be easy to see the true cost of government.
These companies need to pay their share of taxes. Governments will get there tax money one way or the other. If they don't get it from corporations then they will raise the income taxes for individuals, who make far less money then these corporations.
Taxation is theft.
Taxation is theft.
How do you propose we pay for police, infrastructure etc? A flat tax is still a tax.
How do you propose we pay for police, infrastucure etc? A flat tax is still a tax.
I am against all taxes, however I think a flat tax (specifically, the FairTax) is a realistic alternative to the current tax code. The problem is that those in power seldom volunteer to give up their power voluntarily (if the FairTax was enacted, the IRS could be eliminated). It would take another massive economic collapse or widespread taxpayer revolt to get it implemented. Alternately, a constitutionally-minded president could conceivably expend all of their "political capital" to do so.
Police are a state matter, not a Federal matter and the states are free to pass whichever measures their people want to pay for "public services" or infrastructure, no matter how misguided. The Federal government has a simple charter, which has grown and grown and grown beyond its original purpose.
What the **** would you tax-dodging colonials know about paying taxes anyway?
What the **** would you tax-dodging colonials know about paying taxes anyway?
We don't like them.
I am against all taxes, however I think a flat tax (specifically, the FairTax) is a realistic alternative to the current tax code. The problem is that those in power seldom volunteer to give up their power voluntarily. It would take another massive economic collapse or widespread taxpayer revolt to get it implemented. Alternately, a constitutionally-minded president could conceivably expend all of their "political capital" to do so.
Police are a state matter, not a Federal matter and the states are free to pass whichever measures their people want to pay for "public services" or infrastructure, no matter how misguided. The Federal government has a simple charter, which has grown and grown and grown beyond its original purpose.
A tax is a tax....bottomline it's money out of my pocket. If there are NO taxes, as you have stated you believe in, how is anything funded including defense?
A tax is a tax....bottomline it's money out of my pocket. If there are NO taxes, as you have stated you believe in, how is anything funded including defense?
I said I'm against all taxes, as I believe ultimately all taxes are misspent, however I'm also a constitutional Libertarian. Our Constitution allows Congress to "lay and collect" taxes. What those taxes will be is ultimately a battle between special interests, the public at large and politicians.
I said I'm against all taxes, as I believe ultimately all taxes are misspent, however I'm also a constitutional Libertarian. Our Constitution allows Congress to "lay and collect" taxes. What those taxes will be is ultimately a battle between special interests, the public at large and politicians.
So you are not against taxes. What you have issues with is the way that money is spent. Thanks for the clarification.
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It doesn't belong with the consumer.
Sales tax (VAT) is already 20% in the UK, increasing prices further to cover their corporation tax will only create more mess.
Corporations don't pay taxes, YOU do! If they have to fork out more money, they pass the buck to you!!! That's fact and so in the end you're only taxing yourself even more. The price of the product just goes up. It's as simple as that. VAT has nothing to do with anything. You're still paying the 20% on top of the higher priced product. There's no extra mess. All this is about is a huge money grab from Rich American company's. Facebook taxes really seem silly, same with Star Bucks and low to none being paid, but if the taxes are now even higher then the normal corporate taxes that's wrong also. So you'll be paying it. Corporations aren't going to just eat it. That's beyond silly and really naive.
Every other major western nation is going to follow suit. This is a tax loophole that needs to be closed. Good luck raising prices by 25% everywhere.
Who created these so called tax loopholes? GOVERNMENT!!! Corporations aren't going to let taxes just eat up their profits. If they have to raise prices 25%, they'll in the end be forced to do it. What does everywhere have to do with anything. If it's 25% everywhere, so be it. Losing money or no profit because of high taxes would be dumb!!!
In order to maintain profit margins, the selling prices of iPhones in the UK will go up as a result of the tax. Where do you think that the 25% comes from?
Well that's a joke. Apple prices in the UK are in £ and pretty much the same number for what you pay in $ so you pay $100 we pay £100.
If those numbers tell the real story, then I agree they should be taxed equally...at 0%
Where do you guys get off? 20% corporate tax...which is passed on to the consumer then 20% VAT on top of that??? Geeze
Let me educate you good US citizens. The new 13" retina MBP is priced at $1299 on the US Apple site and £999 on the UK Apple site. £999 at current exchange rates is $1481. So when you pony up and pay what we do for the same product you can criticise our tax code.