Microsoft doesn’t like tax – so what’s new?

Posted on September 25 2009

From the TJN blog on Microsoft’s tax ( a favourite theme of mine):

Although the majority of [Microsoft’s] software development is performed in Washington State, Microsoft records its estimated $18 billion in licensing revenue per year through a corporate office in Reno, Nevada where there is no licensing tax.

If the Washington State Legislature hadn't bowed to industry lobbyists and cut the tax rate by more than 2/3, Microsoft would owe $2.08 billion.

So Microsoft does not like paying tax. That’s not news.

But it’s going to be. That tax and corporate responsibility debate hasn't even started yet. But as TJN says, tax and CSR is the elephant in the room.

Just wait.

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5 Responses

  1. Henry Law says:
    September 25 2009 at 4:13 pm

    Richard, I do hope you are not using M$ software or intend to stop soon.

    • Richard Murphy says:
      September 25 2009 at 4:17 pm

      Henry

      I am using MS software

      Linux is a nightmare

      I can’t afford to re-equip with Apple

      The world insists on using Word et al

      I say again, I live in an imperfect world that I seek to change

      But let’s be clear – it never will be perfect. I know that.

      Richard

  2. Henry Law says:
    September 25 2009 at 4:35 pm

    Sorry to hear that, I seem to recall you saying you had given it a try and it had not worked. Unless you are using unusual specialist hardware or software, Linux should not be a problem. Any computer that will run XP will run the latest Linux. There are small Linux systems for elderly computers that were running Windows98.

    USB 3G sticks now work OK which they did not six months ago.

    One problem is that hardware manufacturers don’t bother to produce stuff for Linux which means everyone has been locked-in to M$.

  3. Hum.. says:
    September 25 2009 at 9:28 pm

    As you know, I am with Henry Law on this one. Shame it did not work with your hardware, but maybe it was the fault of my CD.
    Henry: maybe you can send Richard a CD of Ubuntu 9.10 when it comes out in a few weeks? Hopefully Richard will be up for trying to boot the CD once more!