Report: Government Paying Apple Millions to Shelter Overseas Profits


Bloomberg:

Many of the biggest U.S. multinationals have seized on the same exemption, which lets them avoid or delay repatriation taxes by buying Treasuries with their overseas cash. (The top 10 alone hold over $100 billion of the bonds.) That, in effect, enables the companies to turn billions of dollars in potential tax liabilities into millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies--all while they publicly bemoan the sky-high taxes that make it impossible for them to bring the money home.

Since 1962, the U.S. tax code requires overseas profits to be taxed at the corporate tax rates. So, companies can either keep the profits over seas, pay the tax on the already taxed profits, or, as this article details, invest in government securities. Proceeds from such investments are subject to the same tax rules as the overseas profits.

It interesting outlining how Apple's tax scheme works, including its own in-house investment firm to manage its cash investments. Where things go weird on me though is suggesting Apple is getting a tax subsidy buying government debt. The article goes so far to claim Apple has been paid $6 per tax payer over the past 5 years. The fact though is the government sells debt and anyone who buys those securities receives interest on their investments. If Apple, and other companies weren't purchasing the government securities, someone else would.