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Re: Microsoft & Intel get massive tax breaks


From: Erik Funkenbusch
Subject: Re: Microsoft & Intel get massive tax breaks
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:39:37 -0500
User-agent: 40tude_Dialog/2.0.15.1

On 12 Apr 2005 05:06:18 -0700, Yibbels wrote:

> In particular between 2001 and 2003, Microsoft not only didn't pay
> the legislated corporate tax rate of 35%, but in fact got a tax refund
> of $4.6 billion. You will not hear any mention of this in the US media
> of course: it's imperative that US taxpayers not learn they're getting
> fleeced.

Unfortunately, economic development is one of those fields where you often
have to give to take.  You give corporations tax breaks, and they hire more
employees.  The employees then pay more tax, and the economy improves in
the entire process.  

If you didn't give the companies tax breaks, they'd typically not expand,
or even lay people off, which means there's less money changing hands and
the companies themselves see lower revenue and thus would pay less tax
anyways.

It's a complex equation that simply saying "boo hiss, they aren't paying
taxes so we're getting fleeced" doesn't even begin to understand.  I'm not
saying that whatever we're doing now is the correct plan of action either,
but I doubt taking away corporate tax breaks will help anything.

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