Live data from Hacker News

Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

bloomberg.com

101–110 of 324 posts

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#101
post #5

I didn't even need to click the link to know that Ireland was gonna be one of the three. It's like they have a vested interest, or something.

Yes they're an obvious one. I was surprised though that Luxembourg wasn't listed whist Sweden and Denmark are. I'd be interested to here their objects if anyone can point at a fuller article or discussion of the issues.

[deleted]

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#102

To save some of us outsiders from researching, can someone give a brief overview of the proposal? Specifically why new taxes are needed and how the targeting is specified (i.e. who is affected).

Its relatively easy. All the big tech crops are paying effectively below 1% of their profits in Europe and are moving almost all of their profits to tax havens. As these companies are very creative when measuring their localized profits, its easier and more fair to impose a tax at the revenue level.

I don't understand all the negative comments here. Look at the big profit margins of all big tech companies (maybe with the exception of Amazon retail) and ask yourself whether a moderate, unavoidable tax is really unjustified or will have negative effects on anyone (except maybe the shareholders). I don't think so and in my opinion tech workers should be a bit more mindful when thinking about these taxation topics. I prefer paying high taxes strongly to further social segregation, which will lead to the development of civil unrest and lower quality of life for everyone sooner or later...

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#103
post #82

As a french, seing french government officials trying to impose their knee-jerk « let’s tax it » reaction to any kind of problem makes me absolutely sick. They’re just a bunch of jealous incompetent insufferable pompous politicians than don’t understand a thing about the private sector and so instead of trying to fix the numerous reason why we don’t have any competitor to google / facebook etc ( such as our best engi…

Please help me understand why is it okay to tax people on income but not corporations?

Corporations aren't consumers, so corporation tax is passed on: to customers, employees, or shareholders. Levying taxes via corporations disguises the true level of taxation.

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#104
post #82

As a french, seing french government officials trying to impose their knee-jerk « let’s tax it » reaction to any kind of problem makes me absolutely sick. They’re just a bunch of jealous incompetent insufferable pompous politicians than don’t understand a thing about the private sector and so instead of trying to fix the numerous reason why we don’t have any competitor to google / facebook etc ( such as our best engi…

As a French, I totally support this tax. It's easier and more expedient to do it this way than to reform the taxation policies of every European countries.

Also, why is it wrong to tax the income of corporations?

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#105
post #82

As a french, seing french government officials trying to impose their knee-jerk « let’s tax it » reaction to any kind of problem makes me absolutely sick. They’re just a bunch of jealous incompetent insufferable pompous politicians than don’t understand a thing about the private sector and so instead of trying to fix the numerous reason why we don’t have any competitor to google / facebook etc ( such as our best engi…

Please help me understand why is it okay to tax people on income but not corporations?

[deleted]

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#106
post #81
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why should we care whether they are making a profit or not? Because it is generally in everyone's best interest for companies to invest in themselves rather than increase margin at all costs. Growth is good. Many companies would simply go under if you tax them on revenue. >There are so many ways a company can legally and artificially lower its profit numbers Then you try to cut those off as much as possible. Like mo…

> Growth is good Given our current economic situation and our effect on our environment I'm not convinced that it is that simple.

Well it's not of course, and you're right in a way. It's also not good for a whole host of low margin / capital heavy businesses to tank.

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please help me understand why is it okay to tax people on income but not corporations?

Corporations aren't consumers, so corporation tax is passed on: to customers, employees, or shareholders. Levying taxes via corporations disguises the true level of taxation.

Depends, when the corporation is a multinational, then they can evade local taxes by various tricks and send all the profits outside the country. Thus it is necessary to close this loophole, to keep the tax money in the source country.

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#108
post #82

As a french, seing french government officials trying to impose their knee-jerk « let’s tax it » reaction to any kind of problem makes me absolutely sick. They’re just a bunch of jealous incompetent insufferable pompous politicians than don’t understand a thing about the private sector and so instead of trying to fix the numerous reason why we don’t have any competitor to google / facebook etc ( such as our best engi…

Please help me understand why is it okay to tax people on income but not corporations?

Sorry, the project is actually about taxing "revenue", i fixed it, thanks.

Taxing on revenue means a corporation that actually loose money because its expenses (salaries, investmenst, etc) are larger than its sales would still have to pay taxes, making it loose even more money. It doesn't make any kind of sense unless you're targeting a very particular set of companies that you know are making money. In which case you're taxing those companies, but you're also creating a law that makes it almost impossible for new companies to start competing.

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#109
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but a lot of that is done by allowing large companies to offshore their profits.

No, that's not completely true. It's a part of the picture but there's plenty more strokes going on than that.

Hence "a lot" which allows for other processes. We agree.

Re: Three European Countries Block Tax on Tech Giants

#110
post #82

As a french, seing french government officials trying to impose their knee-jerk « let’s tax it » reaction to any kind of problem makes me absolutely sick. They’re just a bunch of jealous incompetent insufferable pompous politicians than don’t understand a thing about the private sector and so instead of trying to fix the numerous reason why we don’t have any competitor to google / facebook etc ( such as our best engi…

As a French, I totally support this tax. It's easier and more expedient to do it this way than to reform the taxation policies of every European countries. Also, why is it wrong to tax the income of corporations?

i meant revenue (which i think you'll understand why it's a problem if you've ever had to pay any corporate tax in your life).
Post reply on HN