Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

Post by manquer » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 5:34 PM UTC

skh wrote: post #142

clarkmoody wrote: post #55

Populist clickbait headline is clickbait. I'm sure Netflix paid tons in employer contributions to employee income taxes, social security taxes, etc. They probably paid a bunch in sales taxes where they made purchases. Property taxes for data centers, office buildings, etc. So there are many more taxes that everyone pays beyond the income tax. As others have pointed out, the tax code is immensely complex, but you prob…

I'm sure Netflix paid tons in employer contributions to employee income taxes, social security taxes, etc. This situation should not be viewed as Netflix paying tax. An employee's benefits, pay, time off, etc. are all part of the compensation of an employee. If Netflix did not pay this on behalf of the employee then the employee would have to pay it. For instance, for contractors they (the contractor) pay the full FI…

Post by jki275 » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 5:34 PM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #184

AlexB138 wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The answer is to outlaw lobbyists, it would fix a lot of problems. That, and enact term limits for Congress. That will fix even more. When you think there are simple answers to big problems it's generally because you don't actually understand the problem. How would you outlaw lobbyists? Setting aside the fact that it would be unconstitutional, do you think it should be illegal for you to air your grievances to elec…

> unconstitutional God forbid we think outside the realm of what the Founding Fathers wrote down. > fly directly in the face of democracy Except the U.S. has long been classified as a flawed democracy. The problems you list can "simply" be solved with a comission akin to the FTC. A small business can complain to said comission which would solve the matter.

Post by akie » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 5:35 PM UTC

chosenbreed37 wrote: post #122

endorphone wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix hasn't, to my knowledge, even filed their 2018 annual yet (or their Q4 2018), so I'm not sure what they're even basing their numbers on. But they admit elsewhere that Netflix paid taxes most of the preceding years, averaging out around 13.5%. In the end their tax lawyers do exactly what tax lawyers do, and unless they're breaking the law so be it. As an aside, it's rich that it's always Americans complaining…

> In any case, corporate tax rates are often much ado about nothing because in the end that money ends up in various other tax brackets. It becomes a capital gain, or a dividend, or some other form that often gets taxed at the personal level. Clearly corporate taxes are charged for a reason and presumably the additional revenue would be of benefit. However it seems to me that in our outrage we lose sight of the fact…

Post by sosborn » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 5:36 PM UTC

markovbot wrote: post #110

theevilsharpie wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the common person, or collection of persons, supposed to do when they are against that kind of force? Vote. All sorts of interests lobby, all the time. These include consumer-focused interest groups, as well as corporations. But, at the end of the day, politicians gain (and keep) office based on the votes of their constituents. These politicians are (generally) not going to vote on bills that they think mig…

I've voted in every election I since I turned 18 and nothing seems to have been done about this and many other things. But issues that megacorps care about happen right away. Voting isn't a real solution to unchecked corporate lobbying.

Post by elliekelly » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 5:36 PM UTC

equalarrow wrote: post #132

theevilsharpie wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the common person, or collection of persons, supposed to do when they are against that kind of force? Vote. All sorts of interests lobby, all the time. These include consumer-focused interest groups, as well as corporations. But, at the end of the day, politicians gain (and keep) office based on the votes of their constituents. These politicians are (generally) not going to vote on bills that they think mig…

Won’t matter. ‘They’ donate to both sides of the isle. Lessig has a good video that breaks a lot of this process down. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PJy8vTu66tE