Previously discussed at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27136002
Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
31–40 of 163 posts
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why doesn't it make a lot of sense? It requires for companies to have some representation here, probably the have a board of directors and a board of directors is where a retired politician usually goes to after their political career. You wouldn't want to scare the people away that will give you a really well paid job for hardly any work at all, would you? We're still looking at the same people forming a new governm…
Anybody wrote a book on trickle-up economy yet?
> Anybody wrote a book on trickle-up economy yet?
Yep it's called 'The Communist Manifesto' by Karl Marx. [1]
Further:
'Socialism: Utopian and Scientific' by Friedrich Engels [2]
and
'Wage Labour and Capital' by Karl Marx [3]
[1] https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-m...
[2] https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/in...
[3] https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour...
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or at least just eu regulations.
Because the vote needs to unanimous and some countries don't want to give up their revenue stream.
The laws come from EC and they can keep pushing it until it passes as with many things. There must be a conflict of interest in the EC if they don't do it. Such changes should be a no brainer - the famous levelling of the playing field.
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#34I'm getting more and more frustrated by my own country's willingness to facilitate this. It just doesn't make any sense. From what I can tell it's all based on old-fashioned debunked economic theories in the same vain as "trickle-down-economy". There's a growing resistance to the Netherlands as a "Doorsluisland", and our current administration's political turmoil will hopefully provide the momentum for actual change…
> our current administration's political turmoil will hopefully provide the momentum for actual change - so hopefully things will change.
I don't think any of the four largest parties made a particularly big deal out of this, so I wouldn't hold my breath.
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#35Shell (the oil company) is actually named Royal Dutch Shell. For a moment I was confused by the title. According to wikipedia it is really named after sea shells.
It's not just Shell, it's an honorary title for a lot of old 'notable' companies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koninklijk
I think they were referring to the fact that the title mentioned "Dutch shell", which is almost the complete name of Shell-the-company.
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why doesn't it make a lot of sense? It requires for companies to have some representation here, probably the have a board of directors and a board of directors is where a retired politician usually goes to after their political career. You wouldn't want to scare the people away that will give you a really well paid job for hardly any work at all, would you? We're still looking at the same people forming a new governm…
Anybody wrote a book on trickle-up economy yet?
Just the anecdote that Ford paid his employees well and they spent more money.
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#37I don't understand why the US just doesn't make these companies pay the tax instead of trying to get some global minimum tax agreement.
If Uber wants to operate in the US. Force them to pay otherwise ban them from operating in the US. Done.
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#38I'm getting more and more frustrated by my own country's willingness to facilitate this. It just doesn't make any sense. From what I can tell it's all based on old-fashioned debunked economic theories in the same vain as "trickle-down-economy". There's a growing resistance to the Netherlands as a "Doorsluisland", and our current administration's political turmoil will hopefully provide the momentum for actual change…
I think the Fear is that if the loophole is closed, the businesses will move elsewhere, taking an X amount of jobs with them - from which the government earns some income taxes. They take the crumbs instead of nothing, because there's no chance they get the cake.
It may take EU wide legislation to fix, but even that is no guarantee because companies may just opt to not operate in the EU.
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
The death of morale... It's OK to commit fraud, kill, and rape as long as you can do it within a loophole in the law. Of cause it is a societal destructive way to see the world as a game.
Are billions-valued companies really expected by anyone to be beholden to any morals? If so, why?
Because companies are run by people? Shell companies don't just spawn on their own...
Re: Uber used 50 Dutch shell companies to dodge taxes
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
The death of morale... It's OK to commit fraud, kill, and rape as long as you can do it within a loophole in the law. Of cause it is a societal destructive way to see the world as a game.
Paying lower taxes is nothing like kill or rape. There are lots of internet-only companies for which the government did absolutely nothing.
Only if you think one-dimensionally.
Consider the ultimate cause and effects and you'll get closer the truth.