Apple May Offshore iTunes To Duck Taxes

from the wouldn't-you? dept

theodp writes “Taking a page from other retailers, Apple has reportedly confirmed that it is investigating the possibility of setting up an online iTunes store in the Channel Islands so its UK customers can avoid having to pay VAT thanks to the use of a loophole that’s been termed a cynical tax dodge.” Of course, if you’re a business, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t want to do such a thing. While it’s fun to try to blame businesses for taking a “tax dodge,” it’s hard to blame them when all of your competitors are doing the same thing.


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Comments on “Apple May Offshore iTunes To Duck Taxes”

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15 Comments
Anonymous Coward says:

cyberimage

Steve Jobs, “Michael Dell Can’t Predict Future”

As Apple’s stratospheric rise continues, Apple CEO Steve Jobs shared a jab at Dell chairman Michael Dell with employees via e-mail on Friday. The comments are a response to a 1997 comment by Dell, who was asked what he’d do with Apple, then financially struggling and near collapse.

“What would I do?” Dell responded. “I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” A few weeks later at Apple’s official announcement of Jobs’ return, with a picture of Dell’s face covered by a bull’s-eye, Jobs said, “You’re in our sights.”

On Friday, Apple’s market capitalization passed that of Dells. The company is now worth $72.13 billion, versus Dell’s $71.97 billion.

Shortly following the market close, Jobs sent an e-mail to employees, showing he hadn’t forgotten Dell’s comments nearly eight years later.

“Team, it turned out that Michael Dell wasn’t perfect at predicting the future. Based on today’s stock market close, Apple is worth more than Dell. Stocks go up and down, and things may be different tomorrow, but I thought it was worth a moment of reflection today. Steve.”

Dell was not returning requests for comment.

The stock price is high yes, but that means nothing as far as the worth of the company… remember the DOT coms.

pooopstainzmcgraw says:

Re: Re: Re: cyberimage

Wow, you both are talking out of your rear ends. You might want to look up something called “facts”.

Please let me know if you find information showing Apple’s growth is overvalued in its P/E compared to Dell. (It was a stupid comment from Dell and he deserved the retort.)

PC is not a company, theres nothing to “beet”. It standards for Personal Computer. Windows is a product not a company. Microsoft the developer of Windows owns a significant stake in Apple, so Im sure they are enjoying Apple’s success as well.

Thanks for the brilliant commentary though guys.

Rikko says:

Re: Re: Re:4 cyberimage

Awesome, no one can comment on the article that this whole thread is about.

For what it’s worth, Mike, I fail to see the problem. If the mechanism is in place then I don’t see any reason why a business shouldn’t be allowed to exploit it. There’s no environmental or social damage being done here – it’s a flawed tax structure.

The British Columbia government is presently trying to get the province of Alberta to release records on BC citizens shopping there – they’re now claiming that people who drive across the provincial border to buy their stuff there (where there is no 7% Provincial Sales Tax) are “tax evaders”. Ridiculous.

Mike says:

Re: Re: Re:4 cyberimage

Ok, first stop making fun of the “beet” thing – it was quickly caught by the writer and fixed.
Next “jobs” is with a big “J” because it is a name!!
Third “tough” should be tuff. Seems like you probably failed your GRE’s and got a low, low score on your SAT’s
Finally, there is nothing wrong with finding a loophole in a system and using it to your advantage – as long as it is legal!! If you were attacked one day, and eight years later you could shove it back in their face, wouldn’t you?

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re:5 cyberimage

>> Ok, first stop making fun of the “beet” thing – it was quickly caught by the writer and fixed.
>> Next “jobs” is with a big “J” because it is a name!!
>> Third “tough” should be tuff. Seems like you probably failed your GRE’s and got a low, low score on your SAT’s

Dear Mr. Alphabet Policeman, thank you for the lesson in spelling and proper nouns. but if you would like to be 100% correct in your spelling lesson, “tough” in the sense that was used above, is actually “tough” (adj; Physically hardy, Demanding or troubling; difficult, Strong-minded) and not “tuff” (french/old Italian noun; hard volcanic rock composed of compacted volcanic ash)

And by “big “J”“, I assume that you meant to write “Capitol ‘J'”, because no matter how big you make a lowercase ‘j’, it will always just be a lowercase ‘j’.

Now back on topic please.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: ROFL :-)

um Ok, so Apple uses a legal strategy to help CONSUMERS dodge a tax, Jobs sticks it back to Dell (well deserved I might add and a good employee moral thing to do) we alsos have learned that “tough” and “tuff” mean different things and that no matter how big you make a lowercase j its still lowercase. So don’t “beet” the bushes looking for bad grammatical errors…..

ROFL
Actually I find reading the comments funnier and more entertaining than reading the actual articles. So everyone wonders how business could be more productive? Keep the employees off the message boards and and stay focused. LOL

now “nuff sed I’m tuff ta beet”

My dad beat up your dad!
Microsoft owns my shoes!
Apple is so way bettter shore nuff

You guys crack me up.

PS:
all mispellings, bad punctuation, off topic snide remarks, and poor grammar is soley my fault.
No keyboard was injured during the writing of this comment

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