Activision Blizzard has moved billions of dollars of profit into tax havens

Post by aloknnikhil » Sun, Aug 04, 2019, 6:27 PM UTC

mattmanser wrote: post #10

FDSGSG wrote: post #6

It's downright ridiculous to complain about companies taking perfectly legal steps to reduce their tax burden. As the oft-quoted US judge Learned Hand said: > Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is…

No it's not. That's how change happens. It's still perfectly legal to destroy the environment in many ways, it doesn't mean we can't complain about it. If we don't talk about it, nothing happens.

Post by FDSGSG » Sun, Aug 04, 2019, 6:28 PM UTC

Scoundreller wrote: post #32

FDSGSG wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One could argue that they have a moral obligation to their shareholders to minimize their tax burden. I can't even imagine a moral obligation to pay excess taxes, that's simply not how taxes work.

It's a problem for shareholders too: When the money is "stuck" ex-US and can't be brought back to the US to pay its shareholders. If your money is in a shell that you cannot reach/touch, do you really have it? And if you can't, why is it on the balance sheet as if it were cash that you could reach?

Post by ravitation » Sun, Aug 04, 2019, 6:30 PM UTC

FDSGSG wrote: post #23

oh_sigh wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you read the first few sentences of the article? It isn't clear that what they are doing is legal. > The company is currently under investigation by tax authorities in the UK, Sweden and France over alleged transfer pricing irregularities and is is facing a potential bill of over $1.1bn in back taxes and penalties. > In the United States, Activision Blizzard has recently settled a transfer pricing dispute with ta…

I did, and until there's significant evidence to the contrary I will assume that what they're doing is legal. I've been audited too, and not because I did anything wrong. > Also, there is nothing wrong with pointing out what they are doing Of course not, but the real problem exists outside of Activision Blizzard. Pointing fingers at specific companies simply detracts from the real problem.

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Aug 04, 2019, 6:30 PM UTC

FDSGSG wrote: post #11

mattmanser wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it's not. That's how change happens. It's still perfectly legal to destroy the environment in many ways, it doesn't mean we can't complain about it. If we don't talk about it, nothing happens.

The problem isn't with the corporations, the problem (if it exists at all!) may be with the legislation. Complain about the law. E: CogitoCogito is absolutely right, there are companies spending lots of money around the world to push these regulations. I just seriously doubt that Activision Blizzard is one of these.

Post by FDSGSG » Sun, Aug 04, 2019, 6:31 PM UTC

Scoundreller wrote: post #24

FDSGSG wrote: post #6

It's downright ridiculous to complain about companies taking perfectly legal steps to reduce their tax burden. As the oft-quoted US judge Learned Hand said: > Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is…

> The company is currently under investigation by tax authorities in the UK, Sweden and France over alleged transfer pricing irregularities and is is facing a potential bill of over $1.1bn in back taxes and penalties. > In the United States, Activision Blizzard has recently settled a transfer pricing dispute with tax authorities for $345m. Maybe not so legal?