A former Microsoft employee (probably disgruntled) is spilling the beans on the company he once served and he points the finger at Bill, Steve, and Brad (Smith), who are being labeled "the perpetrators". We wrote about this a month ago and it's all over the Internet right now. Here is BoingBoing's summary:
Last week, Microsoft told Seattle's KUOW: 'We pay all our tax obligations everywhere we are, properly.' Today, Microsoft Tax Dodge, a new website focused on the company's royalty tax dodge, challenged CEO Steve Ballmer today to live up to his spoken commitment to transparent business practices: 'At this point, I think it's reasonable to ask Microsoft to back up that claim with a public explanation of the company's licensing operations. In that spirit, will you tell the public how it is that Microsoft has avoided paying Washington State's B&O Royalty Tax for the past 12 years?' Washington State currently faces a projected $2.6 billion deficit. In addition to the ethical and public relations issues that crumbling bridges and overcrowded schools (Seattle recently considered making D a passing grade) present to the state's most profitable company, the company also faces deeper scrutiny of the legality of its tax practice.
“Recall Charles Pancerzewski, who blew the whistle on Microsoft's financial fraud. Microsoft paid him $4 million to keep quiet.”This case of whistleblowing (if it qualifies as whistleblowing) would not be the first one that we cover. Recall Charles Pancerzewski, who blew the whistle on Microsoft's financial fraud. Microsoft paid him $4 million to keep quiet [1, 2].
One subject that we raised here before is that Bill Gates uses his investments foundation to escape tax, so it is not just his practices at Microsoft Corporation that count as tax dodging or even tax evasion (Microsoft was found guilty of that).
Gates Keepers, a Web site that keeps track of the Gates Foundation, is currently raising the following criticism: "Save the Children calls on the Gates Foundation supported GAVI to be more accountable"
It is good to see people calling GAVI to account. What a treat to have the usually conservative, big business-linked and Gates Foundation-funded Save the Children make this call.
The Gates and Buffet Foundation Shell Game
Comments
satipera
2009-12-02 09:20:40