IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes • Hacker News Board

Re: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes

#31

Post by PopAlongKid » Thu, Oct 12, 2023, 2:16 PM UTC

safety1st wrote: post #20

ryanschaefer wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m baffled by your comment. This wouldn’t benefit the government at all. They just want their money and wouldn’t want to collapse a major American enterprise over money they will collect by any means necessary.

It's just a classic social media hot take with no thought behind it, designed to get that instant sweet dopamine from upvotes rather than advance the discussion. 30 years of the web and we still haven't worked out how to discourage this (HN does a better job than most though)

>designed to get that instant sweet dopamine from upvotes

I made a simple comment along the same lines in some other thread some time ago, and got nothing but downvotes.

>It's just a classic social media hot take with no thought behind it

Said the pot to the kettle /s

>It's a sign of people's discontent with corporation blatantly avoiding laws - especially taxation - when they get punished due to smallest mistakes.

+1 to this. Did you know that PG&E (California energy utility) is a convicted felon? It's meaningless to them.

"The company was placed on probation in 2017 when it was convicted of six felony crimes connected to one of its natural gas pipelines that exploded in 2010, killing eight people. Since a company can’t go to prison for committing a crime, PG&E faced a $3 million fine and the maximum length of probation. "[0] [emphasis added]

[0]https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/24/22899095/pge-menace-calif...

Re: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes

#32

Post by kuchenbecker » Thu, Oct 12, 2023, 2:21 PM UTC

TheChaplain wrote: post #23

cdolan wrote: post #21

A question I have not seen but think is critical; How can the IRS go after anyone for taxes owed between 10 and 20 years ago? Is there no statute of limitations?

IMHO it doesn't make it a less of a crime if it happened 10+ years ago. Tax fraud is robbing society, and no matter who they are, everyone should pay a fair share if they wish to participate with said society.

But there are statutes of limitations; evidence for your defense may have so far degraded or been unavailable.

Re: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes

#33

Post by sobkas » Thu, Oct 12, 2023, 11:41 PM UTC

ryanschaefer wrote: post #19

sharts wrote: post #18

So send the majority shareholders and directors to jail until everything is paid in full, including interest on it. Corporations are people after all

I’m baffled by your comment. This wouldn’t benefit the government at all. They just want their money and wouldn’t want to collapse a major American enterprise over money they will collect by any means necessary.

> I’m baffled by your comment. This wouldn’t benefit the government at all. They just want their money and wouldn’t want to collapse a major American enterprise over money they will collect by any means necessary.

Ah America the land of rule of law*

*Only enforced if small and/or poor, wealthy and powerful only need to give Government their cut("fine") and no one is held accountable(often even without admitting any wrongdoing). It's rotting the justice system because people see this and no longer care to abide by any of them(cops won't catch vast majority of criminals, for various reasons so fear of punishment isn't a thing). Including cops that have no obligation to enforce any laws, and they don't, so they can play Pokémon Go in peace(but they can break your rights as long they don't know it's a right and it's not widely enforced by courts).

Re: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes

#34

Post by pests » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 2:55 AM UTC

TheChaplain wrote: post #23

cdolan wrote: post #21

A question I have not seen but think is critical; How can the IRS go after anyone for taxes owed between 10 and 20 years ago? Is there no statute of limitations?

IMHO it doesn't make it a less of a crime if it happened 10+ years ago. Tax fraud is robbing society, and no matter who they are, everyone should pay a fair share if they wish to participate with said society.

Taxes don't pay for society though.

It's not like we raise taxes, use it to pay for society, and repeat. We decide to pay for it, do it, and maybe recoup some of the costs. That is why we have a deficit right?

Microsoft not paying $30B did not cause society to lose out on $30B.

That $30B got spent a long time ago. Now it will just sit contributing a little to the 11th digit of the national deficit.

Re: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes

#35

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 3:03 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29B in back taxes

#36

Post by Already__Taken » Sun, Oct 15, 2023, 2:47 PM UTC

pests wrote: post #34

TheChaplain wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMHO it doesn't make it a less of a crime if it happened 10+ years ago. Tax fraud is robbing society, and no matter who they are, everyone should pay a fair share if they wish to participate with said society.

Taxes don't pay for society though. It's not like we raise taxes, use it to pay for society, and repeat. We decide to pay for it, do it, and maybe recoup some of the costs. That is why we have a deficit right? Microsoft not paying $30B did not cause society to lose out on $30B. That $30B got spent a long time ago. Now it will just sit contributing a little to the 11th digit of the national deficit.

no? Powerful collection means creditors think the US will pay it debts. This is why Greece collapsed, the EU gave them lists of people to chace for tax and they didn't. So why help when shit hits the fan.