Bono moved his own taxes from Ireland to the Netherlands because the Netherlands has a lower tax rate. Why is Bono out pimping Ireland when he does not even do his own taxes there? (Hint: He is a pimp). http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2006/08/20/100/ Bono, Preacher on Poverty, Tarnishes Halo With Irish Tax Move http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aef6sR60oDgM Bono: Tax Haven Salesman for the Celtic Paper Tiger http://www.taxjustice.net/2014/10/15/bono-tax-haven-salesman-celtic-paper-tiger/ and of course the latest tax news from Ireland.. Ireland Corks Double Irish Tax Deal, Closing Time For Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertw...osing-time-for-apple-google-twitter-facebook/ "Ireland has bowed to EU and U.S. pressure to cork ‘double Irish’ tax deals. Ireland is the go-to place for Apple, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, not to mention big pharma. At 12.5%, Ireland’s corporate tax rate trounces the U.S. rate of 35%. But these companies don’t pay that 12.5% under the double Irish structure that is a high-tech standard. A double Irish funnels royalty payments for intellectual property from one Irish-registered subsidiary to another. The latter is usually in a country with no corporate income taxes. But Brussels has pushed hard for closing time, though generous grandfather rules will keep these companies imbibing for years. In that sense, while Ireland may have to change some of its tax code and even cork the Double Irish, there’s still time. The money is astounding. Facebook flipped more than $700 million to the Cayman Islands in a Double Irish. Google used the Double Irish and the Dutch Sandwich, saving billions. Google and Microsoft cut their overseas tax rates to single digits with Dublin-registered subsidiaries designated as tax resident in Bermuda" Sounds like Bono's corporate sponsors are very irked. Let's take a look at the real European growth rate - not the fantasy projected numbers put together in your Irish Times article (which will never be hit)... Ireland''s GDP growth rate for 2013 was -0.3% in 2012 if was 0.2%. It lags the majority of countries in Europe. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tec00115 Ireland is an economic basket case... only slightly better than Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
Ireland's GDP this year is apparently at 7.7%, the fastest in the EU and they are discussing tax cuts for individuals. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/ireland-economy-growth-european-union
Let's go back to the article I posted earlier - in order to meet the ECB and IMF lending covenants Ireland must meet certain GDP and spending objectives each year. Every year since 2010 they project absurd numbers but the actual measured numbers at the end of the year fall far short. Even the OECB projected quarterly numbers have Ireland only at 1.5% GDP growth based on the latest number available (2Q '14). At the end of year once again Ireland will confess that it numbers fell far short and ask the EU for forgiveness on the loan covenants (once again). http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=350
I laughed at the part where we are getting "slaughtered" by taxes, after I saw their 41% over $40k rate.
what do you think the rate is for an american making over 100 K in New York or California when you include Fed fico medicare state and local? Phil Mickelson explained it was 63 percent according to his accountant, last year. He then got investigated by the FBI.
Bono, with an estimate net worth of $700 million, and his band U2, with an estimated income per year of $100 million, decides to skip out to a lower tax country. And people actually think taxes don't matter?
In a tax dodge, that is now declared illegal by the European Union, Bono simply skips to the next "low tax" country while still pimping Ireland as a low tax destination. Something is very wrong with this picture - which is why Bono has taken so much heat for it and now keeps his mouth shut
The EU declares it illegal to move to a low tax domocile? And you support this? It doesn't matter whether Bono is a hypocrite or not. What matters is that economic activity is dependent on tax rates. Phil Mikellson didn't move to Florida or Tx because he opened his big mouth. But Tiger Woods, and most other high income golfers and tennis player know where to live. Taxes matter. edit: I'll just add that the EU wouldn't try to make it illegal to move to a low tax domocile if nobody wanted to do it. It proves that taxes effect economic activity.
The issue is not that the EU declares it illegal to move to a low tax domicile. It is that Ireland and the Dutch have been breaking both EU and International tax laws and treaties. In other words, the countries were running a scam. This is fully described in articles I posted earlier.