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IRS Looking at Google/Mozilla Relationship

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the can't-imagine-why dept.

ric482 writes "With the release of the Mozilla Foundation's 2007 financial report, questions have been raised by the IRS, who are due to perform an audit on the non-profit organization behind the massively popular Firefox browser. Last year, the Foundation received $66 million of its total $75 million revenue (88 percent) from search engine maestros Google, so the IRS are looking for blood over the organization's tax exempt status. Back in 2006, Mozilla got $59.5 million from Google — around 85 percent of the organization's revenue. Google and Mozilla are part of a 'you scratch my back, I'll pay your bills' sort of agreement, with the Google search bar firmly placed in the toolbar, and on the default homepage. Things were a bit rocky a couple of months back when Google unveiled the Beta-run of its Chrome browser, but Mozilla and Google hugged it out and sealed a deal that will last for another three years. That deal will expire in November 2011."

7 of 261 comments (clear)

  1. Blame Microsoft by plover · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why not blame Microsoft? Maybe they filed a complaint with the IRS.

    Unleash the conspiracy theories!

    --
    John
    1. Re:Blame Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      > Why is it that Firefox has been out since my
      > early college days

      Because you're very young.

    2. Re:Blame Microsoft by confused+one · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why is it that Firefox has been out since my early college days

      Why you young whipper snapper. I remember when Lynx and Mosaic first came out. When pages were all TEXT. And we LIKED it.

      For that matter, I remember computers before any of this fancy "graphics" stuff was common. Before X. Before the Mac. Before Windows.

      *grumble* firefox *grumble* young people *grumble

    3. Re:Blame Microsoft by fugue · · Score: 5, Funny

      Exactly. The issue here is that Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization, but Google clearly is not. Presumably IRS could be interested in exactly how close ties they have.

      Yeah, but doesn't Google qualify for tax-exempt status as a religious organisation?

      --
      "The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
    4. Re:Blame Microsoft by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, but doesn't Google qualify for tax-exempt status as a religious organisation?

      I believe you are thinking about Apple.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  2. Re:Why go after Mozilla? by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Damn, I was hoping that'd be a link to the wikipedia page for wikipedia.

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
  3. Re:Solution to the economic crisis by Arthur+B. · · Score: 4, Funny

    If it moves tax it.
    If it still moves, tax it more.
    If it's stopped moving, subsidize it.

    --
    \u262D = \u5350