RTE in Ireland has reported:
Accounts for Microsoft Ireland Research, an Irish subsidiary of the global software giant, show that the company paid just €460,000 in tax, on profits of more than €1.2 billion last year, by using provisions in Irish tax law to take its corporation tax bill down from €158m. Much of Microsoft's international profits are channelled through Ireland, but because the main company for Microsoft's activities has unlimited liability, it does not have to file detailed accounts.
You couldn't make it up. That's 0.04% tax.
Corporate social irresponsibility in a parasitical state writ large, I suggest.
And it's this sort of behaviour that finances Bill Gate's philanthropy. I cannot tell you how angry that makes me.
Disclosure: I am an Irish Citizen. I do use Microsoft products.
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Richard
Stop using Microsoft products. It’s as easy as that.
Try Linux Ubuntu as an operating system, it is free (as in beer and as in freedom). You will find preinstalled within the install of the system OpenOffice.org (an office suite), Firefox (browser), and all the rest you need. Really.
Just download the file and burn a CD.
You can even install the operating system from windows if that makes you feel more confident (thourhg Wubi).
I use another flavour of Linux, but Ubuntu is the most popular and one of the easiest to get to grips with.
This is a viable alternative, check
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Ubuntu-804-Is-Ready-to-Take-On-Windows/
and
http://www.ubuntu.com/
It’s amazing just how many people Bill Gates has taken in, so many think he’s just some harmless computer geek who wants to fix the world with his hard earned wealth.
The reality is very different, a sly manipulator from day one…
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Check out http://microsofttaxdodge.com – Washington is not enforcing our .0484% tax … so consider Ireland a step ahead. Seems like this year they paid 12%, can you explain
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0429/1224245596231.html