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  • EU presses Apple for details on latest tax arrangements in wake of Paradise Papers

    bb-15bb-15
    abriden said:

    bb-15 said:
    abriden said:
    To those who have so far defended Apple's tax avoidance and blame the laws rather than those abusing them, it is by no means certain that Apple have operated legally at all — by all accounts the arrangement with the Irish government was illegal and the subject of an EU investigation. Secrecy is the reason these tax avoidance schemes have thus far been allowed to happen unchallenged, but hopefully the so-called Paradise Papers will prompt reforms (though I won't hold my breath).

    There is a reason why private and public companies have to publish their accounts for transparency — hiding the money in countries with greater secrecy does not make it legal.
    You are misinformed. 
    1. The tax situation in Ireland was not secret. It is based on the double Irish arrangement which has been in effect since the late 1980s.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement

    2. The tax arrangement between Ireland and Apple was legal in Ireland. Why? Because Ireland is a sovereign nation which can pass its own laws which are enforced by its government.
    - And again this arrangement has been known for decades.

    3. The EU does not strip the Irish government of all its power. Ireland is appealing the actions of the EU in this situation.
    Ireland believes that the tax situation with Apple is appropriate.

    4. You imply that Apple does nothing to contribute to the funding of services in Ireland. That is false.
    - Apple employs 4,000 workers in Cork (6,000 total in the country). The income of those workers helps the Irish economy which in turn helps to fund services. 
    - Apple's profits in Ireland are taxed at the rate of 12.5% in an agreement with the Irish government. Besides being legal, 12.5% is not 0%.
    The tax money from Apple in Ireland helps the Irish economy and therefore services in Ireland.
    - Apple pays lots of taxes around the world. Probably more taxes than any other company. All of that money helps to fund services.  

    5. Finally, the money that Apple is holding outside of the US has to do with US taxes. Apple wants a lower US tax rate before paying US taxes on that money. This money from the view of the US and Apple, is not about taxes that should go to the EU. 

    Apple uses shell companies that are businesses in name only, with no more than a business address — as arranged by Appleby, in common with its other clients. Apple has tangible operations all over the world, that's not in dispute. I'm disputing the bouncing of profits between shell companies and the offsetting of these profits against unsubstantiated 'fees' which are not open to scrutiny — I don't believe that is honest or in the spirit of the law, a theme that Tim Cook chose to draw particular attention to.
    This is more of the same with your arguments. On a gut level you dislike Apple and then make unfounded accusations. 
    - "Apple uses shell companies"
    Shell companies are not necessarily illegal and in fact can be a legitimate way for a multinational to do business. 
    You wrote; "the spirit of the law". The law is that shell corporations can be legal.
    And by being legal, shell corporations can fit within the intent of the law.  

    "Shell corporations are legitimate, legal entities that do not possess actual assets or run business operations. They function as transactional vehicles for a variety of firms and for a myriad of purposes. Generally, they are used to obtain financing, maintain control over a conglomerate company, allow firms more favorable tax treatment,"

    https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0712/a-look-behind-shell-corporations.aspx

    - You wrote; "I don't believe that is honest".
    What do you know about this topic in legal terms which can determine what is honest? I know you are angry about this but I don't see much else in terms of knowledge of the specifics.  
    So, in a discussion about honesty, you aren't upfront about the very drastic limits to what you know about this. 

    * Just an FYI, legal tax havens have existed in Europe for decades. For instance residents of Monaco don't pay income tax. 
    Many celebrities have taken advantage of that. 

    http://www.howtoadvice.com/MonacoTaxHaven

    radarthekat

  • EU presses Apple for details on latest tax arrangements in wake of Paradise Papers

    bb-15bb-15
    abriden said:
    These so-called tax avoidance schemes are NOT necessarily legal…
    Tax avoidance is legal. Tax evasion is not.

    I know the difference, which is why I say 'so-called' — many schemes have claimed to be legal tax avoidance, but the release of the Paradise Papers demonstrates that at least some constitute illegal tax evasion. It remains to be seen which category Apple's arrangements fall when they are properly scrutinised.
    I can't find evidence that Apple did something illegal from the information about the Paradise Papers. 

    "Paradise Papers show massive but not illegal tax avoidance by Apple... 

    Though Apple has done nothing illegal,    "
    http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_a/Apple/20171107_illegal_tax.html

    * This has been a problem with several of your arguments.
    - Obviously, you have an emotional dislike of what Apple is doing.
    - But your gut feelings do not = facts.
    - And the facts that I can find so far are, that with this tax matter, Apple has not done anything illegal.   
    farmboyradarthekat

  • EU presses Apple for details on latest tax arrangements in wake of Paradise Papers

    bb-15bb-15
    abriden said:
    To those who have so far defended Apple's tax avoidance and blame the laws rather than those abusing them, it is by no means certain that Apple have operated legally at all — by all accounts the arrangement with the Irish government was illegal and the subject of an EU investigation. Secrecy is the reason these tax avoidance schemes have thus far been allowed to happen unchallenged, but hopefully the so-called Paradise Papers will prompt reforms (though I won't hold my breath).

    There is a reason why private and public companies have to publish their accounts for transparency — hiding the money in countries with greater secrecy does not make it legal.
    You are misinformed. 
    1. The tax situation in Ireland was not secret. It is based on the double Irish arrangement which has been in effect since the late 1980s.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement

    2. The tax arrangement between Ireland and Apple was legal in Ireland. Why? Because Ireland is a sovereign nation which can pass its own laws which are enforced by its government.
    - And again this arrangement has been known for decades.

    3. The EU does not strip the Irish government of all its power. Ireland is appealing the actions of the EU in this situation.
    Ireland believes that the tax situation with Apple is appropriate.

    4. You imply that Apple does nothing to contribute to the funding of services in Ireland. That is false.
    - Apple employs 4,000 workers in Cork (6,000 total in the country). The income of those workers helps the Irish economy which in turn helps to fund services. 
    - Apple's profits in Ireland are taxed at the rate of 12.5% in an agreement with the Irish government. Besides being legal, 12.5% is not 0%.
    The tax money from Apple in Ireland helps the Irish economy and therefore services in Ireland.
    - Apple pays lots of taxes around the world. Probably more taxes than any other company. All of that money helps to fund services.  

    5. Finally, the money that Apple is holding outside of the US has to do with US taxes. Apple wants a lower US tax rate before paying US taxes on that money. This money from the view of the US and Apple, is not about taxes that should go to the EU. 
    radarthekat

  • SquareTrade iPhone X drop-test video disagrees with iFixit's repairability assessment

    bb-15bb-15
    It depends on who does the drop test. 
    The YouTube tech channel PhoneBuff does very systematic phone drop tests.
    Their results? The iPhone X did better than the iPhone 8+. 


    PS. The first 3 drop tests in the video are done from pocket height (a little over 3 feet or ~970 mm).

    Soliwatto_cobra

  • How Apple Watch laid the foundation for iPhone X

    bb-15bb-15
    This is an excellent, insightful article...
    But, I disagree with one thing in it:  The implication that the Apple Watch was pretty much complete and perfect coming out of the gate...

    When that marketing ploy failed, they transitioned over into marketing it as a health, fitness and exercise tracker.  And, they've done pretty well there.   But, it still has not fulfilled its destiny there as it is still not on the same level as the dedicated exercise monitors.   Instead, it has taken the Nike approach of primarily targeting casual, recreational exercisers and even non-exerisers with its rings and stand reminders.
    * I don't see where the article claimed that the Apple Watch was "pretty much complete and perfect out of the gate".
    - After all, DED knows that the Series 2/3 and improvements to Watch OS exist. Therefore the claim that the article implied that the initial Apple Watch was pretty much a complete/perfect product which suggests it had no need for updates, is not an accurate view of the article.
    - Instead what DED has done is make comparisons to actual products.
    The influence of the Apple Watch design and the iPhone X.
    As well as the Apple Watch and the once main US Android Wear competitor, the now discontinued Moto 360. 

    * Second, there is the claim that the Apple Watch product line "has not fulfilled its destiny ... as it is still not on the same level as the dedicated exercise monitors".
    - Dedicated fitness devices for highest level competition athletes, like the Garmin wearables and chest straps (from Polar), are not the "destiny" of the Apple Watch. 
    - Apple Watch is a mass market smartwatch. Its competition would be other mass market smartwatches.
    The RIZNOWS fitness YouTube channel has a video titled; "Best GPS Running Watches" which rated the Apple Watch as the best mass market smartwatch for fitness over the Samsung devices.
    - Also, Mashable has an article from May 05, 2017 titled; "Apple is now the world's top wearable company".
    - Imo Apple Watch has reached its destiny.


    watto_cobra