SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
El Reg reports
Steve Wozniak has spoken out against Apple's tax affairs, saying all companies ought to pay 50 per cent in taxes.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live he said: "I don't like the idea that Apple might be unfair--not paying taxes the way I do as a person.
"I do a lot of work, I do a lot of travel and I pay over 50 per cent of anything I make in taxes and I believe that's part of life and you should do it."
Asked if Apple should pay that amount, he replied: "Every company in the world should."
According to Woz, money was never a factor when he started the biz with Steve Jobs 40 years ago. He added: "Steve Jobs started Apple Computers for money, that was his big thing and that was extremely important and critical and good."
Europe is currently scrutinising Ireland's tax arrangements with Apple over an alleged sweetheart deal with the company. Some have speculated the probe could lead to Apple paying $8bn in back taxes, even though the case is against the Irish government.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Tuesday April 26 2016, @09:27AM
Then you are not thinking very far. To start with, let's assume everyone would have more dollars. What would happen? Well, with everyone having more dollars, everyone would have more dollars to spend, and therefore demand for products would go up. And then economics 101 kicks in: Higher demand leads to higher prices. And that means while you have more dollars, the dollars are worth less, and therefore you don't have more money.
But that's not all. The road on which you drive to work, do you pay for that? Well, you do, through taxes. If there were no taxes, either you'd have no road to drive on, or you would have to pay for the road directly. And then, who makes sure that you'll not get robbed on the way to work? Well, the police does. Paid by tax money. No taxes, no police. So plan to pay for your personal security, too. OK, but now the security company you hired happened to just take your money, but not actually help you when you are robbed; a fact that you of course only find out after you've been robbed. So what do you do? Sue them? Too bad that the courts are paid for by taxes. But maybe you've got the money to not just pay your lawyer, but also pay a private court (and at the same time manage to make sure the private court isn't getting enough bribes from the security company to rule against you — who would stop them from acting that way?). So that private court tells the security company that it has to pay you compensation. How do you get that compensation? Hire yet another contractor to enforce that? But that contractor has to be more powerful than the security firm, and at the same time more trustworthy. And probably will be even more expensive.
Well, in short, you'd pay much more than you currently pay in taxes, in order to maintain a more miserable life.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Tuesday April 26 2016, @08:13PM
You are absolutely right; I should have said I believe everyone would have more wealth, not money. Also, we wouldn't have imperialistic wars going on across the globe funded by the wealth that is being taken from us.
As for not having roads, I don't understand at all why that would be an issue. My take on that is the same as Larken Rose [goodreads.com]'s. To me the issues you raise sound like this discussion [facebook.com].
Hmm, looks like L. Rose has an even longer comment on this [youtube.com] that I haven't checked out yet. And I love this little ditty on the subject [youtube.com].
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Wednesday April 27 2016, @08:02AM
Maybe you should re-read my post. I had an either-or there. Your jumping on the "no roads" part (which I didn't say that way, so that comment you linked doesn't apply) and largely ignoring the rest looks like a classical red herring to me.
But as it seems clear to me that further discussion will not lead anywhere, this will be my last message in this thread.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Wednesday April 27 2016, @10:57AM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings