Earlier quoted context omitted.
Corporate tax is quite misunderstood in my opinion. Tesla makes revenue, and they have costs. Their revenues are offset by their costs. Any profit Tesla makes is eventually taxed -- either when Tesla shareholders sell appreciated stock, when the company makes distributions or when they liquidate. Corporate tax only applies to un-distributed profits carried forward from year to year instead of invested into the busine…
> either when Tesla shareholders sell appreciated stock, when the company makes distributions or when they liquidate. Feels like a fatal flaw in the law if you can bypass paying the corporate taxes in that way. That is individual tax - not the tax payed by the corporation. Normally the tax is payed twice. Tax from the corporation profits and then the individual employee/shareholder tax based on their income.
Payroll tax is the second check you're looking for.
Tesla is almost certainly fucking around. But the concept of taxing corporate profits--versus earnings--is solid. You massively favour high-margin (tech) over low-margin (manufacturing, service, anything with physical assets) and incumbents over new entrants if you tax the top line.