How is it morally wrong to pay fewer taxes than your neighbor? Apple's job is to enrich their shareholders. They have no second allegiance to country or continent. It's morally wrong for them to pay taxes into a bureaucratic system instead of investing in R&D, operations, and shareholder returns. Fair societies don't mean equal societies. Apple creates more, and better, jobs than the book store they shut down to open a showroom.
It is morally wrong to pay a lower tax rate than your neighbour. If Apple were investing their money into R&D, operations or higher pay checks no one would be complaining. But they're engaging in aggressive tax planning merely to hoard the cash.
> Apple creates more, and better, jobs than the book store they shut down to open a showroom.
It's not about Apple's showroom vs book store. Its about Apple's massive cash pile vs hospital services/fire brigade/police dept/infrastructure etc. Those are essential services, and jobs, too.
Because it means the ethical company that pays its taxes has to pay for a disproportionate share of the roads, parks, schools, etc... The unethical company gets a competitive advantage in ditching their obligations to the country like a deadbeat dad.
There is nothing in the world that makes me more mad than a bunch of bureaucrats, that have produced nothing for anyone, demanding resources from the employees of Apple, who are working to create products that consumers want in exchange for wealth. This is a direct assault on all employees of Apple and the work that they do with the understanding that they will be able to retire comfortably. Unbelievable greed on the behalf of a society that works fewer hours than any other.
