You really don't have to look very hard to find that taxation matters when making "business" decisions.   How many individuals have a claim residence in FL due to no state income tax?   Why wouldn't a business move it's operations to a place where tax is limited? 

Posted by philogenemay on 9/14/2011 9:14:00 AM (view original):
greeny, I did address that.

The fact is, whether one chooses to believe it or not, is that tax breaks are incentives for companies to expand to some place or keep jobs in one place or another. It happens on the state level all of the time.

One example that comes to mind is Paris-based Gameloft SA, who is about to open a new studio in the US. This will be the 2nd US location for a company that has 24 studios around the globe.

They are opening the new studio in New Orleans, which will really help their economy. One of the biggest, if not the biggest, consideration was the tax incentives offered by the State of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.

Now there certainly is a lot of corruption all over the corporate world, and there should be more done to curtail it, but tax-based incentives are legitimate and do work.

Great example of foreign investment the way it should be... 700 US citizens employed, getting paid with foreign funding, and then those employees spend that money here in the US helping other businesses grow.

I agree wholeheartedly. At the risk of being redundant, I KNOW tax-based incentives work. The problem I have is a billion dollar company receiving any credits in the form of tax payer dollars.
Give them tax breaks as incentives sure, but don't give them other people's tax dollars that is just stupid and borderline criminal in my mind.

Maybe if we taxed the poorest 99% and the richest 1% that would "incentivize" everyone to work harder.  Maybe it makes sense that GE pays $0 in taxes, and Warren Buffet's tax rate is lower than his secretary's.  The job creators SHOULD BE rewarded.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/14/2011 9:21:00 AM (view original):
You really don't have to look very hard to find that taxation matters when making "business" decisions.   How many individuals have a claim residence in FL due to no state income tax?   Why wouldn't a business move it's operations to a place where tax is limited? 

How many businesses incorporate in Delaware? Why?

Posted by philogenemay on 9/14/2011 9:27:00 AM (view original):
I agree wholeheartedly. At the risk of being redundant, I KNOW tax-based incentives work. The problem I have is a billion dollar company receiving any credits in the form of tax payer dollars.
Give them tax breaks as incentives sure, but don't give them other people's tax dollars that is just stupid and borderline criminal in my mind.

Problem is we have a tax system built for loopholes. Close 1 and 3 more open. With lobbyists anything is possible.

Yes the whole income tax system needs to be abolished. I am definitely in favor of a flat tax

Posted by crazystengel on 9/14/2011 9:27:00 AM (view original):
Maybe if we taxed the poorest 99% and the richest 1% that would "incentivize" everyone to work harder.  Maybe it makes sense that GE pays $0 in taxes, and Warren Buffet's tax rate is lower than his secretary's.  The job creators SHOULD BE rewarded.

No this is definitely wrong. 

Warren Buffet is an individual. He should pay his fair share like the rest of us.

There can be no justification for his tax-rate being lower than his secretary's.

Maybe WB should pay his secretary more.   He seems to be all about sharing wealth.

Or he could voluntarily pay more taxes.    Just call BO and say "I'm going to pay 12m more than required.   Please don't send it back.   Have a good day!"

I also think campaign contribution reform is long over-due.

I don't need to see a candidates commercial every 30 minutes. If I am a politically active person I will watch the debates and form my opinion based on that. 

That doesn't take millions and millions like tv promos do.

Or you could be like Obama and use Presidential Address as campaign speeches. 

Posted by philogenemay on 9/14/2011 9:14:00 AM (view original):
greeny, I did address that.

The fact is, whether one chooses to believe it or not, is that tax breaks are incentives for companies to expand to some place or keep jobs in one place or another. It happens on the state level all of the time.

One example that comes to mind is Paris-based Gameloft SA, who is about to open a new studio in the US. This will be the 2nd US location for a company that has 24 studios around the globe.

They are opening the new studio in New Orleans, which will really help their economy. One of the biggest, if not the biggest, consideration was the tax incentives offered by the State of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.

Now there certainly is a lot of corruption all over the corporate world, and there should be more done to curtail it, but tax-based incentives are legitimate and do work.

this will be the 2nd of 24 studios around the globe eh?  imagine that.  I wonder what percentage of Gamelofts sales is in N America, I wonder if its more then 8.33%?  Id guess that its probably about 50%.  So why is it that they dont have 50% of their operations in N America?  Giving a real benefit to the people who are its primary customers?  Car companies have similar restraints in place.  There are many many foreign car companies setting up shop because its a hot button issue amongst consumers.  People want to buy cars that are built in their own country.  Why is it that people are so hot over cars, but when it comes to software or clothing or nearly everything else they dont really care about that?

Im not saying that all manufacturing should happen in N America, but at least close to the proportion that is sold here should be made here by said corporation.

What is so bad about forcing the hands of these mega corporations that pay next to no tax to keep unemployment where they sell their wares.

And like I said in a previous post, if they want the cheaper operating expenses of making stuff in China, then you simply raise the inport duties so that the lost taxes at least come home.

Posted by philogenemay on 9/14/2011 9:27:00 AM (view original):
I agree wholeheartedly. At the risk of being redundant, I KNOW tax-based incentives work. The problem I have is a billion dollar company receiving any credits in the form of tax payer dollars.
Give them tax breaks as incentives sure, but don't give them other people's tax dollars that is just stupid and borderline criminal in my mind.

You KNOW it do you?  So why is it that so many companies are outsourcing everything to China?  Seems as though 0% tax isnt good enough.  Do we have to give billions to all corporations just to keep them here employing Americans?  When is it going to end?  Dont you know that they are just going to keep on demanding more and more and more?  There is no bottomless pit more bottomless then the greed of corporations.  If they can screw you out of 1 more dollar they will do it.

But here is the crappy part, because governments the world over are falling over each other trying to give more and more money to these corporations to have them come to their jurisdiction to give jobs there who meanwhile is footing the bill?  Thats right, you and me.

Truth is there are way too many taxes on all of us.  Its amazing when you sit down and count all of it.  But the biggest money earners in the country seem to be getting away with murder in terms of not paying income taxes.

Posted by greeny9 on 9/14/2011 11:11:00 AM (view original):

Posted by philogenemay on 9/14/2011 9:14:00 AM (view original):
greeny, I did address that.

The fact is, whether one chooses to believe it or not, is that tax breaks are incentives for companies to expand to some place or keep jobs in one place or another. It happens on the state level all of the time.

One example that comes to mind is Paris-based Gameloft SA, who is about to open a new studio in the US. This will be the 2nd US location for a company that has 24 studios around the globe.

They are opening the new studio in New Orleans, which will really help their economy. One of the biggest, if not the biggest, consideration was the tax incentives offered by the State of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.

Now there certainly is a lot of corruption all over the corporate world, and there should be more done to curtail it, but tax-based incentives are legitimate and do work.

this will be the 2nd of 24 studios around the globe eh?  imagine that.  I wonder what percentage of Gamelofts sales is in N America, I wonder if its more then 8.33%?  Id guess that its probably about 50%.  So why is it that they dont have 50% of their operations in N America?  Giving a real benefit to the people who are its primary customers?  Car companies have similar restraints in place.  There are many many foreign car companies setting up shop because its a hot button issue amongst consumers.  People want to buy cars that are built in their own country.  Why is it that people are so hot over cars, but when it comes to software or clothing or nearly everything else they dont really care about that?

Im not saying that all manufacturing should happen in N America, but at least close to the proportion that is sold here should be made here by said corporation.

What is so bad about forcing the hands of these mega corporations that pay next to no tax to keep unemployment where they sell their wares.

And like I said in a previous post, if they want the cheaper operating expenses of making stuff in China, then you simply raise the inport duties so that the lost taxes at least come home.

You do realize raising import duties will raise prices to consumers, right?

And don't all of us want cheap stuff?

Lowering taxes on corporations is NOT "giving them money".  Giving tax incentives only reduces what they pay from what they earn (I'm not talking about the extremely limited GE example, which should be corrected - and situations like it) and allows them to invest.  If Boeing moves some of their manufacturing to South Carolina because it helps them compete, more power to them.  Not only that, but it helps South Carolina.  South Caronlina benefits tremendously from the tax incentives they give to Boeing by broadening their tax base.  They receive corporate and B&O taxes from Boeing, AND they receive taxes from economic activity resulting from the jobs created there.  There are two sides to those deals.  Tax revenues INCREASE with tax breaks because it brings them there in the first place.  States are free (odd word, that 'freedom thing') to levy taxes in whatever way they see fit to benefit them. 

Corporations are not in the business of "screwing you" out of a dollar.  If competition was fair, the limits on their dollars is taken care of by the marketplace.    You don't pay more in taxes because Boeing gets a break.  The pie is not limited.  And by the way, we ALWAYS are footing the bill.  Consumers are the buyers of goods and services.  With that said, if I lived in Charleston, I'd be very happy about the tax breaks to Boeing.  Why?  Because if I had a business there, it would likely grow in response.  Maybe I can hire more workers to support my growing business as a direct result of Boeing being there.  Maybe my son can start his career there.

It doesn't matter how much you want to soak these evil companies, the end result is that you pay.

"Truth is there are way too many taxes on all of us.  Its amazing when you sit down and count all of it.  But the biggest money earners in the country seem to be getting away with murder in terms of not paying income taxes."

Are they? 
How much would you have them pay?  
How much do they pay now? 
If they paid more in taxes than they do now, how would that affect economic activity?  (Would the taxes they pay generate more economic activity or less?)
Do rich people hoarde money? 
Or do they invest it? 
Which is better, and what's the difference?

Your last statement means just about nothing without context.