--Steve Ballmer
IT WOULD only be reasonable to say that following Microsoft's abysmal results (earnings are down 32%) and additional layoffs, Microsoft struggles to hide its problems. We've already remarked on Microsoft's massive tax evasion [1, 2] (billions of dollars per year) and even the Seattle press cannot turn a blind eye to it, despite the harm this may cause to their beloved Microsoft. That's billions of dollars that Microsoft virtually took from taxpayers' pockets (the hidden "Microsoft tax").
How Obama's tax reforms could impact Microsoft's bottom line
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The debate hinges on policies that let companies with international operations avoid higher U.S. tax rates by reinvesting their foreign earnings overseas. The Obama administration last Monday detailed its plan to put a damper on that practice.
"Currently, businesses that invest overseas can take immediate deductions on their U.S. tax returns for expenses supporting their overseas investments but nevertheless 'defer' paying U.S. taxes on the profits they make from those investments," the White House said in a May 4 briefing document. "As a result, U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to provide a significant tax advantage to companies who invest overseas relative to those who invest and create jobs at home."
Microsoft, which has historically avoided borrowing money, this morning took the next step in its previously announced plan to raise funds through a public debt offering. The company made the move in a preliminary prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Watch Out Google, Obama’s Antitrust Chief Is Looking To Make An Example Out Of You
The Obama Administration’s new chief antitrust enforcer at the Department of Justice, Christine Varney, is making it very clear that she is going to be much more aggressive in bringing antitrust actions against large, American corporations.