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Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

theguardian.com

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Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#61

Post by NLips »

adventured wrote: post #37
krisdol wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple has yet to provide me with food stamps or public housing, both of which saved me when I was a refugee. I can check with my spouse but I'm pretty sure the public hospital she works at was not an apple product. The rest is just ridiculous. If you want an effective government, you have to take privatization out of it, not rely on it as we have.

Apple paid $46 billion in just income taxes over the last three fiscal years. The majority of that was likely in the US market, where they're more heavily taxed and have a very large market share. I don't know where you live, but if it's in the US, then you're wrong: they did in fact help pay for food stamps and public housing. Last fiscal year, Apple generated $72.5 billion in income before income taxes, and paid $1…

The parent's point is precisely that: The welfare is paid by the government, with money that it takes in taxes from e.g. corporations.

Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#62

Post by goldbrick »

djschnei wrote: post #48
martinald wrote: post #15

In the UK we have the concept of "Section 106" payments which allow a development through planning by the developer paying the local government some amount of money to redress the cost of dealing with congestion, public relam, affordable housing, etc. For large skyscraper developments in London, this can be many many millions of pounds. Does something similar exist in CA?

Wow... outstanding haha. So in bringing more business to an area, they need to pay twice? At what point do people actually own the land they own?

1) the developer doesn't "bring" business to the area, they are supported by their clients and are responding to economic incentives, same as anyone else.

2) if you do perceive them as "bringing" business, then it's only right to equally perceive them as bringing congestion, pollution, and all the other undesirable side effects of economic activity.

3) when does one ever "own" land? Property rights are enforced by the government, it's only fair that they receive compensation for that.

Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#63

Post by kuschku »

dragontamer wrote: post #51
nihonde wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea that Apple isn't the best thing that ever happened to Cupertino, California is hilarious.

I don't like this idea. Corporations should pay taxes and whatever, and not be treated specially just because they're the largest entity in the town. A huge number of towns in America are basically run by one or two corporations. Cupertino is not unique in the slightest, aside from the fact that Apple is just a larger company. But it really doesn't matter if you "only" have a $1 Billion market cap company headquarter…

There is a solution how you can get both.

The German city of Wolfsburg, and the state of Niedersachsen have done it with VW.

The solution: You just buy a large amount of shares of the companies that are started in your city. Municipalities get a far larger share of the profits directly, politicians have an incentive to ensure companies are profitable, and companies can’t avoid paying for the infrastructure they use.

Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#65

Post by imgabe »

Slightly off topic, but is that really the design for Apple's new headquarters, a giant ring? So if you want to get from a place on one side to the other, you have to walk halfway around the circle or cut through the giant park in the middle? That seems horribly inefficient.

Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#68

Post by discardorama »

What's forgotten in this discussion are the property taxes in Cupertino. The property values in Cupertino are among the highest in the Bay Area, and with that comes more property taxes. I doubt Cupertino would be this desirable were it not for Apple (and the school district). So once again Apple, albeit indirectly, helps pad city coffers.

Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#69

Post by icebraining »

jefurii wrote: post #23
nihonde wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea that Apple isn't the best thing that ever happened to Cupertino, California is hilarious.

No, the idea that the city should have to provide roads, utilities, etc to a huge, rich corporation and get nothing back for their trouble is terrible.

According to the article, Apple pays for 18% of the city budget. Is that nothing?

Re: Cupertino's mayor: Apple 'abuses us' by not paying taxes

#70

Post by kumarm »

discardorama wrote: post #68

What's forgotten in this discussion are the property taxes in Cupertino. The property values in Cupertino are among the highest in the Bay Area, and with that comes more property taxes. I doubt Cupertino would be this desirable were it not for Apple (and the school district). So once again Apple, albeit indirectly, helps pad city coffers.

Most residents of Cupertino pay very little property tax due to prop 13. Some residents pay 3000$ for the same house when their neighbors pay 18000$.
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