Eric Schmidt: Google Will Continue Investing In UK Even If Taxes Raised 122
DavidGilbert99 writes "Eric Schmidt hasn't changed his stance on Google's tax policies in the UK but has said that even if the tax legislation changes in the UK it will continue to invest in the country because 'we love the UK.' Gushing about its relationship with the UK, Schmidt said: 'Google will invest in the UK no matter what you guys do, because the UK is just too important for us. The citizens are too important for us and in our view we provide too much good.'"
(Beware the auto-playing video advertisements). This after writing an Op-Ed lamenting the complexity of international taxes.
Yeah, no shit! (Score:5, Insightful)
So, google isn't going to throw a hissy fit and back out of a 2.5 trillion dollar economy. Say it ain't so!
Remember all this stuff is on taxes on profit! This is the stuff they get to keep after all expenses come out. So it's merely a question of pocketing a bit less of a vast amount of money.
Amazing they're not thinking of leaving, really.
Context matters (Score:5, Insightful)
You know, in discussing things, people often discount possibilities that are considered to have an extremely low probability that are also irrelevant to the context of the conversation, so when the context is questions about Google response to potential tax increases in the UK, "Google will invest in the UK no matter what you guys do" doesn't, to a reasonable listener, equate to a commitment to staying engaged in the UK if the UK suddenly, rather than raising taxes that Google would have to pay, instead adopts Chinese-style massive political censorship that Google would have to actively cooperate with the authorities to enforce in order to be allowed to continue operating in the UK.
Re:Apple interview (Score:5, Insightful)
Because then we would have freeloaders, like you.
Little to no benefit? So how is it that your posts are getting here again?
You do not drive? You do not have property to protect from fire or theft? You do not benefit from an orderly society? You gain nothing from an educated society?
I think you are a liar, since that is just the far simpler explanation.
Re:Context matters (Score:4, Insightful)
Regardless, it's a stupid thing to say. A company like Google threatening to leave is a good way to shape tax policy in its favor. But coming right out and saying that they won't leave makes it a lot easier for the UK government to raise their taxes.
That's a very simplistic take on things. The fact is that government is very used to people threatening to take their business away if they don't get their own way, and it's pretty obvious that it doesn't happen in practice. It's not a good way to shape tax policy, it's a transparent and dishonest way. Perhaps as a government you'd actually rather work with companies that don't just routinely lie and throw temper tantrums?