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Shouting 'Pay Your Taxes', Activists Occupy Apple Stores in France (marketwatch.com)
An anonymous reader quotes MarketWatch:
A group of global activists stormed and occupied several Apple Stores in France on Saturday in a move aimed at pressuring the company to pay up on a €13 billion ($15.5 billion) tax bill to the European Union. In a press release, the France unit of the Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions and Citizen's Action organization (Attac), said 100 of its members occupied the Opera Apple Store in Paris, demanding the company pay its taxes... Attac said dozens of protests were organized at other Apple store locations throughout France on Saturday. In the Paris store, activists were seen via videos circulating on Twitter, pushing past security and hanging a banner that said "We will stop when Apple pays." Security in Paris reportedly evacuated Apple workers from the building as those protests began.
After three hours they left the store -- leaving behind protest messages on the iPads on display. The group claims that Apple has stashed $230 billion in tax havens around the world, but also hopes to raise awareness about other issues.
"Attac said the action was part of the #PhoneRevolt movement aimed at highlighting unfair practices by Apple, that are not just about taxes, but also pollution via extraction of metals for its phones, worker exploitation and driving a global consumption binge."
After three hours they left the store -- leaving behind protest messages on the iPads on display. The group claims that Apple has stashed $230 billion in tax havens around the world, but also hopes to raise awareness about other issues.
"Attac said the action was part of the #PhoneRevolt movement aimed at highlighting unfair practices by Apple, that are not just about taxes, but also pollution via extraction of metals for its phones, worker exploitation and driving a global consumption binge."
Giant corporations don't pay taxes, they evade them. Then they hoard more money by using $2/hr Chinese labor which is illegal anywhere else but okay since it is across a line on a map and in China. Then they buy out their competition and use frivolous IP lawsuits to limit new competition. There, now you know everything you need to know in order to become a member of the Corporatist movement and control your elected official using money.
"Why did they put that killer in jail, when he brushed his teeth every day?"
Your first assumption is that you can weight these things against each other, and your second assumption is that this must be done. Why? The only place where boiling ethics down to a boolean is effective is in Hollywood movies.
Oh, I wasn't under the impression that Apple uses their own private road network in the EU, but I am clearly mistaken.
And plenty in taxes are paid. So this is nothing but statist slaver bullshit.
Government services like protection of the glass storefronts of their stores.
Presumably they pay property taxes (or rent that ultimately goes to pay for property taxes) to cover the cost of law enforcement protection of their property.
And IP protection of their software and their designs.
I haven’t read the treaty, but I think Europe protects foreign IP in exchange for the US and other countries protecting European IP. If Europe wants out of that treaty, there's probably a way to end it. I doubt the treaty allows for holding IP protection hostage for a tax grab.
Yes, it is much better to always accept things as they are and never complain.
There is a middle ground: They could educate themselves, and then direct their outrage more constructively. For instance, if the French don't like their tax laws, perhaps they should complain to their politicians rather than to a company that is behaving legally.
Note that I'm French.
If your sentiment that the reason for the protests were that french people desire companies to pay their taxes were true, they would have been protesting in Total gas stations. The problem is that Total, (who owes more money in taxes to the French Government) Is French so it wouldn't be popular. Muuch better to target that foreign Apple company...
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
Since Apple's corporate headquarters is in the U.S., we get the money first.
Why would you get the money? Apple isn't the subject of a US court battle about the US not collecting taxes from Apple properly. Apple pays as much taxes in the USA as is required by law, unlike in the EU where it was found their tax agreement with Ireland was illegal.
Complaining to their politicians would never have made the front page of international newspapers to raise awareness about the issues surrounding the current tax laws.
#DeleteFacebook
Apple's headquarters are in the US but it also has branches in the EU, and these branches depend on the laws of the country they are in.
So when Apple Ireland makes a sale in the EU, it has to pay taxes to Ireland, like any Irish company. And Apple France has to pay taxes in France. That the headquarters are in the US doesn't matter. And it's a good thing, otherwise, the headquarters would have been quickly relocated to a tax heaven.
"Appleâ(TM)s Irish tax arrangements have allowed it to pay tax at a rate of 3.8 percent on $200 billion of overseas profits"
From this article.
So that is 7.6 *billion* dollars in taxes that Apple has paid to the EU in taxes.
Not to mention, that for every expensive Apple device sells, the EU is of course collecting a tax of taxes (VAT) atop that as well. All just because Apple has physically located a store there. The taxes collected alone on sales must be many more billions.
Again, just for Apple having a store located in that country or city.
Do you seriously think the tiny impact of Apple having a store in those countries is not more than offset by the taxes already paid? Apple has paid for roads, security, and far more out of the very large amount of money Apple has collected and paid in taxes.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
If only MLK and his followers would stop their boycotts and protests and informed themselves of the political process they'd get so much more.
MLK's boycotts and protests always had clear and specific objectives. Integrate the buses in Montgomery. Raise the wages of garbagemen in Memphis. Etc. There was always a clear point where he could declare victory, and move on to the next objective.
He was also very skilled at working with politicians, especially Lyndon Johnson.
Contrast MLK with OWS or BLM, neither of which has any clear objectives or accomplishments.