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Ecuador Tax Agency Closes Microsoft Branch Offices

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the time-to-sniff-the-paper-trail dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Ecuador Tax Agency (SRI) has closed Microsoft branch offices for seven days. 'We have twice requested balances, payment reports and complete tax information, but the company hasn't given it to us, so in accordance with our laws we have proceeded with the closure,' the SRI official in charge of the proceeding said. Microsoft said it was a human mistake."

10 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. First Time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The first time it may have been a "human" mistake. Second time, I do not think so.

    I wonder if this is related to paying for votes on the ISO committee?

    1. Re:First Time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      That's not giving Microsoft the benefit of doubt, I'm thinking of how many times they make the same mistakes over and over, almost like it's company policy.

      If that's the case, would it still be human error to follow company policy? :)

  2. "closing" a business in an online world by G4from128k · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I doubt this will have the impact that it would if Microsoft were a traditional bricks-and-mortar company. Does this closure prevent Ecuadorians from activating copies of Windows, or downloading updates, or buying additional Microsoft licenses online?

    At what point in time will tax authorities seek the right to seize a company's domain name and DNS entries to truly seize a business for back taxes.

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
  3. Celebrity Section for Slashdot? by Nymz · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This story feels alot like "Is Britney Spears fit?" or "has Linsey Lohan left rehab too soon?" Do we really need 24/7 coverage of every detail of Microsoft? Hmm, what do you think of these stories:
    • Steve Jobs drops his iPhone again - video link
    • Linus Torvald buys a mac - is this the end of the world?
    • Bill Gates gets a fashion makeover - image slideshow
    1. Re:Celebrity Section for Slashdot? by garett_spencley · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Your post has just 'caused me to make a revelation about myself that is most disturbing.

      Celebrity gossup / papparazzi is one of my biggest pet-peeves. It drives me INSANE when people care about Paris Hilton being in jail or Britney shaving her head or whatever. The fact that I even know those events occurred makes me want to kill myself. I mean, really WHO THE HELL CARES AND WHY ?!?! Are people's own lives so bloody shallow that they need to constantly invade the privacy of other people that they do not even know just to see something more interesting ? Why is that considered to be more interesting anyway ? Leave the celebrities the fuck alone, they're just people. They are no more interesting or important or "special" than you. Aside from the media that they have a small part in producing they have absolutely no "real" effect your lives what-so-ever. The fact that anyone cares about their private lives is the most absolutely ridiculous aspect of human / pop culture and it depresses me.

      Yet, thanks to your post I have realized that I am also guilty of this. Only not with pop-culture. I am interest in things like what Linus is currently working on, the direction that Jobs is taking his business, whether Steve Ballmer will be finally taken to an asylum to get the anger management that he needs. I know more names of "popular" geeks and business people than I do of actors or musicians etc.

      I need some Prozak now :(

      Oh and expect a call from my lawyer ...

  4. Re:Public Prophet and Private Profit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry but the law is the law. MS forgot to send some papers and the rules had been applied on that case. Many other ecuadorian companies were also closed for seven days, MS was the only multinational branch closed.

  5. MSFT PROXY VOTE IS NOW by JackMeyhoff · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Time to vote Steve Balmer and Bill Gates OFF the Board of Directors again. One day we will get lucky, MSFT will rise at LEAST 10..15% if they left. They don't contribute anything anyway.

    --
    http://www.rense.com/general79/wdx1.htm
  6. Umm, yeah Ecuador is high on the list... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 3, Insightful

    of "we have a branch there?" offices. Considering Microsoft's revenues are about 1.8 times higher than the entire GDP of Ecuador, it probably doesn't rank really high on the list of priorities, all in all...

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    1. Re:Umm, yeah Ecuador is high on the list... by janrinok · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think your post was intended to be funny - but it should be high on the list of any company operating in any country in the world to ensure that they comply with the local laws. Making a profit higher than a nation's GDP does not absolve any company from full legal compliance. If they don't like it, they can close their offices down and stay back home, but they do not have a right to go elsewhere and behave as if the law does not apply to them. It does, and they are wrong.

      --
      Have a look at soylentnews.org for a different view
  7. No special treatment. by arthurpaliden · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What this story really shows is that this little country treats all its businesses the same. No one gets special treatment just because they are a huge US based multi-national.

    --
    Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo