Real Rebels Pay Their Taxes. 🏆
I bumped into this post (thanks to @jamesvandyne!) while slacking around today. I think that it is an important question for everyone to consider.
Is it ethical to invest time into learning and using technologies from companies that pay little or no taxes?
You and I pay all our taxes, don't we?
Then why shouldn't we restrict ourselves to use the tools and frameworks created by our own community of legit developers who not only strive hard to make great software but also pay their taxes dutifully each year?
Why should we give even an ounce of our attention and mind-share to those who do not do their part and affect our society badly?
Don't Real Rebels Pay Their Taxes?
What are your thoughts? Let us deep dive for a thoughtful discussion. 💬
All of the companies listed in his presentation (Google, Amazon, etc.) are following the tax code as it is currently written. If they were not, then they would be getting fines and being investigated by the IRS. There is nothing inherently immoral or unethical about anything they are doing.
The US tax code is currently written in such a way that it favors and rewards re-investment of profits and spending money (expenses) to reduce your taxable income. If you don't agree with the way the law is written, then take your fight to lawmakers in the House and Senate, not the individual companies that are just following the law the way it is currently written.
The whole "they don't pay any taxes" argument is not even accurate anyways, because they pay tons of payroll taxes (SSI, Medicare, etc.), sales taxes, state taxes (depends on the state), other taxes, and other various fees for permits and things like that, etc.
Oooh, I won’t jump to that suggestion that quickly. How do you know those (supposedly) regulators represent you and not the corporations enjoying the very laws you described they are following to the letter?
Although, I don’t disagree with your position per se. 😏
On your comments on who pays the taxes for payrolls: the employee does. Healthcare shouldn’t be in the control of your employer: that has failed as you can see with the pandemic and even before that. But these discussions are beyond the scope of the subject at hand: so I’ll leave it here.
I never made any assumptions about regulators representing my beliefs over corporate interests. I am just saying that if you are upset about the outcome, start with the people who can change the laws, not the ones following them.