Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft Influence on Ireland and the United Kingdom

Question of Tax



Microsoft's tax evasion tendencies are more notorious than most, so they were discussed here many times before, e.g. in [1, 2, 3]. There are concrete examples to show this, even at a more personal level and even a criminal level. Over in the IRC channel, a reader has just brought to our attention this article from May. Part of it says:

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.


Microsoft's handling of tax issues is a discussion that typically revolves around Ireland for very good reasons that we explored before and will revisit in a moment.

More recently, Microsoft came under fire in India for its practices that involve tax exemptions. They lost the case, which we last mentioned a few weeks ago. They keep dodging the law, just as they do in the United States and Europe (unfulfilled promises and feet-dragging).

Question of Cronyism



In previous posts that mentioned Charlie McCreevy [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28], his negative impact on European law was shown. He seemingly favours monopolisation. It's worth realising where he comes from (Minister for Finance in Ireland). To quote a portion from Wikipedia:

A consistent advocate of cutting taxes and spending, he [Charlie McCreevy] then had an opportunity to implement these policies. In 1999 he announced the biggest give-away Budget in the history of the state. The dramatic cut in interest rates which preceded the joining of the Euro, combined with a tightening labour market and tax reductions led to significant increases in inflation. His 1999 budget also included individualisation measures to reduce the heavy tax wedge faced in particular by married women who choose to work. However, couples on a similar income where one parent worked in the home would not see a similar reduction in their tax bill and following much public debate an extra tax allowance was introduced for stay-at-home spouses. It later emerged that his Tax Strategy group had advised against introducing individualisation due to reasons of cost rather than principle. The change is viewed by some as making a significant contribution to increased female participation in the workforce. However, female workforce participation had been growing even before tax individualisation, due to improved economic conditions.

During his term in Finance, he made many changes to simplify the tax system and presided over Ireland's entry to Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union and later, the changeover to the Euro. In the early 2000s, when Irish economic growth fell back, he maintained strict control on growth in government spending. This was after he had increased government spending in the previous three years. He maintained a significant primary surplus during his 7 years in Finance, while also implementing the tax-cutting programme, major increases in health, education and pension funding as well as increasing investment in infrastructural development to 5% of GNP.


This ought to explain why Microsoft was attracted to the region. Let's not forget The Great OOXML Fiasco and the role Ireland played in it (more examples here).

Question of Lobbying



Regarding Microsoft influence inside the British government, we have already accumulated many links in this post, as well as others. Including the references at the bottom, they make up a partial summary of the many examples already presented in this Web site. In the spirit of never repeating facts where it is possible to just reference prior coverage, we leave that as it is. We just need to sort out a better archiving and searching facility.

Regular readers may remember the Carlyle Group and its possible distant connections to Microsoft. Well, John Major, Britain's former Prime Minister was appointed its chairman several years ago. A reader showed this to us yesterday.

The Carlyle Group is pleased to announce that John Major, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, will be joining the firm as Chairman of Carlyle Europe.

In that capacity, Mr. Major will serve as Chairman of Carlyle's European private equity funds and their advisory boards. Mr. Major will also be involved in providing counsel and advice to the senior Carlyle investment professionals, now operating in Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, and Paris. Carlyle's European private equity funds pursue and make investments in management buyouts,


On several occasions we also mentioned the Bilderberg Group [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], which lists among its ranks (or participants) the Gates family as well as Labour Party leaders.

It is important to keep track of individuals because companies are, after all, just made out of people, whose preference guides choice and direction of a company (or country). Even the United States Department of Justice is said (and shown) to be in Microsoft's pocket.

'But when Noorda raised the possibility that Washington might block a merger anyway, Gates replied, according to Noorda: "'Don't worry, we know how to handle the Federal Government."' (Gates strongly denies this. "Are you kidding?" he snaps. "The Department of Justice makes their own decisions.")'

More: Going after Microsoft: the FTC didn't know what Bill Gates did - but they were sure he must have done something wrong - investigation into alleged collusion between Microsoft and IBM to control computer operating software systems; CEO William Gates - Cover Story

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

LLM Slop as Attack Vector on the Reputation of Linux
The attacks on Linux have escalated to information warfare
Confirmed in the Mainstream Media: A Lot of Microsoft "Workloads" Were Just LLM Slop (Helping to Fake Growth for Years, as Microsoft Had Paid "Open" "AI" to Become a "Client") and Demand is Rapidly Waning, Datacentres Canceled and/or Shut Down
Anything to facilitate further accounting fraud
Taiwan's Media Covers Closure of Microsoft's "AI" Lab, It's Time to Talk About the Gradual Death of Windows and Implosion of the "AI" Bubble
Earlier this week we showed that mostly Asian media had the 'nerve' to mention Microsoft silently shutting down its 'AI' lab
 
Where to Get More Gags
A valued reader recommended that to us
Links 04/04/2025: Tech Stock (Inc. GAFAM) Fall, Google Pretends to Do End-to-End Encrypted Emails (With Google in Control)
Links for the day
IBM Said to be Shutting Down Offices or Sites in the United States
the press can no longer avoid admitting that IBM moves many jobs to India
To Participate in Fedora Diversity You Must Use Proprietary Software
Not for the first time either
Yandex About to Be Three Times Bigger Than Microsoft (Bing) in Asia
That's about 60% of the world's population
Gemini Links 04/04/2025: Decoupling Updates, Elaho as Gemini Client
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, April 03, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, April 03, 2025
Microsoft's Trouble in Africa and Asia
A new all-time high for GNU/Linux
Brett Wilson LLP Reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The saddest thing in all this is that law firms can maintain high standards shall they wish to
Links 03/04/2025: Tariff Pains and C.D.C. Cuts
Links for the day
StatCounter: Microsoft is Masking a Disaster, It's Way Behind DeepSeek Already and Interest in LLMs Has Waned
it turns out the money "raised" for "Open" "AI" may not even exist at all
Links 03/04/2025: SoftBank Money for Microsoft "Open" "AI" Probably Doesn't Even Exist, Wikimedia Foundation Blasts LLM Nuisance While Microsoft Admits Demand Has Shrunk
Links for the day
Gemini Links 03/04/2025: Patch Panel and Pictures
Links for the day
Islamic Republic of Iran: GNU/Linux at All-time High This Month, Windows Falls to 12%
Vista 10 is up this month despite being "end of life" (EoL) soon
Indonesia: All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux
What's noteworthy right now is the growth of GNU/Linux
statCounter Says GNU/Linux Usage is Up Again (Internationally)
some preliminary April data
Only on April 1st Can the Free Software Foundation Associate With Microsoft's Open Source Initiative (OSI)
We saw some pranks that day linking the FSF to Microsoft (e.g. "endorsing" Windows)
IBM Gets Rid of Kelly Chambliss as Mass Layoffs Reported in IBM Consulting, IBM Loses Key Contracts/Graft
IBM Consulting has been in disarray lately
More Gains for GNU/Linux, Based on Web Surveys
the Steam site shows rapid growth for "Linux" this month
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux Articles, Not Even Written by Humans
Why aren't Web sites more vocal about this problem?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 02, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Links 03/04/2025: Apple Fined Over Secret Surveillance, "Elegant Writer For A More Civilized Age"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: Books and Cold Tea
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: More Layoffs, Nokia Again Takes Advantage of Illegal and Unconstitutional Patent Court With Nokia Staff as 'Judges'
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: Seizures and Returns to Windows of 24 Years Ago
Links for the day
LLM Slop Helps Obscure and Distort News About Layoffs (IBM, GAFAM)
It's hard to find accurate information
Links 02/04/2025: Microsoft Developers Are Threatening to Go on Strike, World Backup Day Noted
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Has Growing Appeal (the Web Got Too Bloated and Full of LLM Slop)
For any "data plan" with bandwidth limits or "tiers" it would be cheaper to use/browse Geminispace
The Web Can Survive LLM Slop, But Only If We Collectively Shun and Discourage Serial Sloppers
Doing nothing ought not be a possibility
Amid Secret Shut-downs and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (4 Waves of Layoffs in 3 Months of 2025) Some Microsoft Staff Expected to Go On Strike
workers going on strike
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: No more on Mastodon and Gemini Mention Script in Go
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 01, 2025
My Motion Disbarring or “Striking Off” Brett Wilson LLP for Enabling Violent Americans Who Try to Crush Microsoft Critics in the United Kingdom by Multiple SLAPPs
"Guns for hire" (for Microsoft people who received Microsoft salaries)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hijacked Again by Patent Litigation Industry, as President Cheeto Prioritises Aggressors
The "mafia" has taken over the "industry" and the Federal system (justice and constitutions trampled upon)
Ubuntu Slop and FUD Manufactured With LLMs and Funded (by Oneself) 'Studies'
Slop and FUD are ruining the Web