back to article 'Google IS a capitalist country... er, company'

This was the week when the tax row shifted into high gear, with politicos on both sides of the pond railing at Google and Apple, while respective chiefs Eric Schmidt and Tim Cook presented defences that amounted to yelling "If you don't like it, you fix it" and running away. Schmidt started it off with an op ed at the start of …

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  1. JetSetJim

    PleasePress1

    This fella could perhaps merge his database with the stuff from http://www.saynoto0870.com/ ?

  2. Rande Knight
    Devil

    Long intro statements

    They'll just counter with even longer introduction statements before you can press any numbers eg.

    "Please listen to all of the following instructions as they may have changed even though we've not in fact changed them in the last 3 years, but it's theoretically possible. Also note that your call may be recorded for training and quality purposes and will be used as evidence if you threaten or abuse us, but will definitely be deleted^W won't have been recorded in any case our operator is rude or gives false or misleading information. Any attempt to reduce the time spent listening to these automated messages will cause a dropped call and make you listen to these messages again. We may do this in any case in low call periods to keep our revenue numbers up. Now please wait and listen to some musac for another 5 minutes and then press 1 and then # and then 653217688999123 within 1 minute of the beep and then listen for further instructions."

    1. JetSetJim

      Re: Long intro statements

      They don't need to do that - it would be easier to randomise each list for each individual call - to the hierarchy would stay the same, just the number combinations to transit to a "leaf-node" would be different each time. And, at random points, you should be asked to enter your account number with the keypad, too.

      1. TeeCee Gold badge
        Happy

        Re: Long intro statements

        Or there's this approach:

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: asked to enter your account number with the keypad, too.

        Or better asked to read it out to a poorly written voice recognition system. You can spend days on those.

  3. Ninetailed
    Happy

    Called it.

    http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/containing/1834229

  4. WatAWorld

    In most countries, engaging in fake transactions and self-dealing is not obeying the law.

    In most countries, engaging in fake transactions and self-dealing is not obeying the law.

    It might not be a criminal offense, but it is violating regulations and a judge could declare the fake construction to be null.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: In most countries, engaging in fake transactions and self-dealing is not obeying the law.

      None of these companies are performing transactions with themselves, they are doing business with completely separate legal entities. You can do business with your brother and the legality of the transaction will be exactly the same as if you did it with me - if your brother profits from the deal and decides to use that money to buy you a new house, well where's the legal problem with that?

      Companies aren't people, you can create as many of them as you want without having to convince an organic incubation unit to grow it for you first. It's also a lot faster to create than a human, and does exactly what it's told to by its owner(s).

  5. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    In a historical context

    Slavery cannot be about morality – there are no absolutes. It is about responsible judgment, finding the balance between shareholder fiduciary duty, stakeholder responsibility, controlling labour costs and and delivering cotton at a price the market find acceptable

  6. Slx

    I really don't see the point of attacking Google, Apple or even Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands etc

    The system is broken! Companies aren't going to start donating tax out of the goodness of their hearts because their competitors won't and their prices will go up and they'll be out of business.

    The countries' taxation systems are being combined in unintended combinations to avoid paying tax anywhere! They're not even particularly benefiting from it as they're not getting the revenue.

    If one of them makes a tax grab, they lose to their competitors.

    I mean if Ireland were to suddenly decide that it would go after Apple's non resident incomes outside of Ireland you can be sure Apple HQ would be suddenly in Luxemburg or Switzerland or Singapore resulting in 4,500+ job losses and all the supplier job losses in Cork. You are talking complete disaster for that city if Apple were to up and leave.

    Likewise, Google exploys thousands of people in Dublin.

    All countries have tax rate competition but the problem is tree companies are organising their affairs so they don't pay much tax anywhere.

    There was no special deal done, they're just using international law and various tax systems to maximise the loopholes.

    We need global change to prevent this kind of stuff.

    I mean when you consider that these companies are genuinely operating globally, including carrying out R&D globally, it's very hard to define where they're actually based.

    It's all a big mess!

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