Activision Blizzard and a whole lot of taxes.

stayontarget · August 2019

Tell me your thoughts on this article

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-08-06-taxwatch-activision-blizzard-has-dodged-taxes-on-billions

NorseGod · August 2019

*shrugs*
I do my best to pay as little taxes as possible. Good for them, I guess.

MMOExposed · August 2019

THIS IS AMERICA!!

some-clueless-guy · August 2019

Not that I was under any delusion that they were paying their dues before reading that, but now I question how they have balls to come out denouncing private WoW private servers as "unfair".

Gutlard · August 2019

I wish regular citizens had half as many loopholes to use....

Gut Out!

mrputts · August 2019

It's not like they are breaking the law. If they can get away with it legally then Ok. I do what I can to pay as little as possible.

alkarionlog · August 2019

getting loop holes to prevent state to steal from you is normal and everyone does, expecting people pay they "dues" just because you belive the state is there to protect and help you don't make this any more right

Sovrath · August 2019

alkarionlog said:

getting loop holes to prevent state to steal from you is normal and everyone does, expecting people pay they "dues" just because you belive the state is there to protect and help you don't make this any more right

Well, taxes pay for things. Without taxes we wouldn't have a lot. Should taxes and tax laws be looked at? Sure.

But I don't feel like living in a world where there are no roads or services or 'anything.'

NorseGod · August 2019

Sovrath said:

alkarionlog said:

getting loop holes to prevent state to steal from you is normal and everyone does, expecting people pay they "dues" just because you belive the state is there to protect and help you don't make this any more right

Well, taxes pay for things. Without taxes we wouldn't have a lot. Should taxes and tax laws be looked at? Sure.

But I don't feel like living in a world where there are no roads or services or 'anything.'

I don't care too much about "living in a world". I live in the US for a reason. And the Constitution only requires the Gov to do a very few things. ex. military, a navy to prevent piracy off our shores, etc.

Here's some fun facts that some people may not be aware of:

In the US, the central bank (Federal Reserve) is a privately owned bank. (I'll come back to this in a minute)

Know which countries do not have a centralized bank? N. Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya. Do those countries sound familiar?

So, the way the tax system is setup:

Corporate taxes pay for the military.

Property taxes pay for emergency services and schools.

Gasoline taxes pay for the roads.

And in 1916, income taxes pay for the interest on the money borrowed by the US Gov from the Federal Reserve. We are paying interest on our own money!

If the US Gov (or any country with a centralized bank), went back to controlling our money supply, we wouldn't have to pay a privately owned bank for our own money. There would not be a need for income taxes on workers.

Bankers have been trying to control the money supply since this nations founding.

Some notable US Presidents in regards to centralized banks:

Andrew Jackson - he won

Woodrow Wilson - worked for the banks prior to taking office, Federal Reserve Act 1913, (passed during Christmas Break when Congress went home and the bank lackeys stayed behind) even an outspoken Congressman was murdered fighting this.

John Kennedy - murdered (checkout his speeches on the Federal Reserve and his Executive Orders).

The history of banks trying to take over the money supply is vast, interesting, and plenty of WTF moments.

So, Activision/Blizzard legally used the law to avoid paying taxes. Good on them.

Some may disagree that's a good thing, but to those same people, does the US military really need any more money? They are working well beyond the responsibilities outlined in the Constitution (world police, etc).

With that said, if you don't like the tax laws, then change them (loopholes and exemptions are stupid). However, it's the worker paying income tax to service interest on borrowed money that's unnecessary here. Let's start efforts there.

kjempff · August 2019

"The case of Activision Blizzard is just another example demonstrating the need for governments to introduce more effective measures to deal with royalty-based tax avoidance schemes."
Tax avoidance is one of the side effects of the broken state of our current branch of capitalism.

moshra · August 2019

Sovrath said:

alkarionlog said:

getting loop holes to prevent state to steal from you is normal and everyone does, expecting people pay they "dues" just because you belive the state is there to protect and help you don't make this any more right

Well, taxes pay for things. Without taxes we wouldn't have a lot. Should taxes and tax laws be looked at? Sure.

But I don't feel like living in a world where there are no roads or services or 'anything.'

Muh roads!

stayontarget · August 2019

Just remember, whatever the amount they don't pay gets passed down to the masses. One way or another someone will have to pay for it all.

laserit · August 2019

Take this from someone who pays more tax in one year than the everyday working man will pay in a lifetime.

The less that these companies pay in taxes using loopholes and offshore tax havens the more YOU will pay in taxes.

Sovrath · August 2019

MisterZebub said:

kjempff said:

"The case of Activision Blizzard is just another example demonstrating the need for governments to introduce more effective measures to deal with royalty-based tax avoidance schemes."
Tax avoidance is one of the side effects of the broken state of our current branch of capitalism.

While I agree, tax avoidance is not tax evasion. So until those laws are changed these companies are well within their legal rights to use these "loop holes" to their financial advantage. What personally galls me is the fact that quite a few people champion the idea of closing these loop holes, but at the same time don't utter a peep about these governments complete lack of ability to spend these tax revenues responsibly.

Well, there will always be debate as to what is spending responsibly. Oh sure, there are some exceptionally egregious errors in judgment but then you get some people who believe that taxes should be used for certain things and others thinking those "certain things" should not be paid for with taxes.

It's just an eternal back and forth.

Amathe · August 2019

One thing to keep in mind about American taxes. Tax exemptions are not giveaways. It is Congress influencing people and companies to behave in some way that Congress wants them to behave.

To illustrate, take honey bees. We don't have enough of them. That is a big problem because they are needed for pollination of crops.

Congress could spend a ton of taxpayer money making bee farms.

Or it could pass legislation making certain people and companies have to operate bee farms as a condition to something or other. Want to operate a wind turbine? First show you have a bee farm.

But more often - lots more often - Congress entices people to voluntarily do things at their own expense by offering a tax exemption, such as the exemption you get for bee farms!

For Activision to get that much tax exemption, it would have to dance like no one is watching, behaving in ways that Congress finds desirable (for whatever reasons).

That doesn't explain everything in the article, but it's part of it. You don't get tax exemptions by accident.

DrunkWolf · August 2019

Look how much amazon makes and they pay zero taxes.

Phry · August 2019

DrunkWolf said:

Look how much amazon makes and they pay zero taxes.

True just look at how much Disney makes and they .. oh wait.. nvm

Iselin · August 2019

laserit said:

Take this from someone who pays more tax in one year than the everyday working man will pay in a lifetime.

The less that these companies pay in taxes using loopholes and offshore tax havens the more YOU will pay in taxes.

There was a famous Canadian politician, as you know @laserit , who coined the phrase "Corporate Welfare Bums." The rest of us are all subsidizing these bums with our taxes.

Pemmin · August 2019

Sovrath said:

MisterZebub said:

kjempff said:

"The case of Activision Blizzard is just another example demonstrating the need for governments to introduce more effective measures to deal with royalty-based tax avoidance schemes."
Tax avoidance is one of the side effects of the broken state of our current branch of capitalism.

While I agree, tax avoidance is not tax evasion. So until those laws are changed these companies are well within their legal rights to use these "loop holes" to their financial advantage. What personally galls me is the fact that quite a few people champion the idea of closing these loop holes, but at the same time don't utter a peep about these governments complete lack of ability to spend these tax revenues responsibly.

Well, there will always be debate as to what is spending responsibly. Oh sure, there are some exceptionally egregious errors in judgment but then you get some people who believe that taxes should be used for certain things and others thinking those "certain things" should not be paid for with taxes.

It's just an eternal back and forth.

The eternal back and forth is fine...its why we have a legislative branch. The problem is that money allotted for specific things just disappears into the bureaucratic machine without ever reaching its intended goal. That and policies being passed without of a source of funding cannibalizing tax payer money intended for other things. The problem is usually not on what its being spent on but how its being spent. Why would I want to give the giant inefficient bureaucracy more of my money? at least with private companies they have efficient spending and balanced budgets.

Phry · August 2019

Pemmin said:

Sovrath said:

MisterZebub said:

kjempff said:

"The case of Activision Blizzard is just another example demonstrating the need for governments to introduce more effective measures to deal with royalty-based tax avoidance schemes."
Tax avoidance is one of the side effects of the broken state of our current branch of capitalism.

While I agree, tax avoidance is not tax evasion. So until those laws are changed these companies are well within their legal rights to use these "loop holes" to their financial advantage. What personally galls me is the fact that quite a few people champion the idea of closing these loop holes, but at the same time don't utter a peep about these governments complete lack of ability to spend these tax revenues responsibly.

Well, there will always be debate as to what is spending responsibly. Oh sure, there are some exceptionally egregious errors in judgment but then you get some people who believe that taxes should be used for certain things and others thinking those "certain things" should not be paid for with taxes.

It's just an eternal back and forth.

The eternal back and forth is fine...its why we have a legislative branch. The problem is that money allotted for specific things just disappears into the bureaucratic machine without ever reaching its intended goal. That and policies being passed without of a source of funding cannibalizing tax payer money intended for other things. The problem is usually not on what its being spent on but how its being spent. Why would I want to give the giant inefficient bureaucracy more of my money? at least with private companies they have efficient spending and balanced budgets.

Sounds a lot like the EU, and they haven't had their accounts signed off on for how long now? Never understimate the level of government corruption when it comes to money.

alkarionlog · August 2019

MisterZebub said:

kjempff said:

"The case of Activision Blizzard is just another example demonstrating the need for governments to introduce more effective measures to deal with royalty-based tax avoidance schemes."
Tax avoidance is one of the side effects of the broken state of our current branch of capitalism.

While I agree, tax avoidance is not tax evasion. So until those laws are changed these companies are well within their legal rights to use these "loop holes" to their financial advantage. What personally galls me is the fact that quite a few people champion the idea of closing these loop holes, but at the same time don't utter a peep about these governments complete lack of ability to spend these tax revenues responsibly.

with I tells you more, if most then half of out tax was not spend keeping the fat politician wellfed, then maybe we could come to a middle ground, but what I see is people without kids paying for other people kids, people without cars paying for others cars, and working people paying for lazy fucks who don't want to work

Nibs · August 2019

Unfortunately it is a legal requirement for all directors of a company to always act in the best interest of the business and the shareholders. It could therefore be argued that not taking full advantage of tax loopholes would be a crime...

alkarionlog · August 2019

Baalzharon said:

activision/blizzard hates capitalism and complains about it all the time

activision loves to make use of capitalism and makes ton of money from it

Hm....

ah no, that is common with socialists, they want to everyone to work together, but they are more equal then others so they deserve a bigger share, that is what goverments love to do, and they minions, less brights and miserables, they love to spill they want social jsutice and such, but most they just want the people they envy for they work to be in the same miserable lvl, so they work for that

sacredcow4 · August 2019

Gutlard said:

I wish regular citizens had half as many loopholes to use....

Gut Out!

You do. It's on you to learn them and use them. Just because most people don't take time to understand and implement the rules doesn't make it a loophole. Learn the rules. Get better at the game. Calling it a loophole is just an excuse to be bad, like complaining that someone is using an OP class in a game when you are just as capable of picking that class.

tawess · August 2019

I knew there was another reason i was holding off moving to the US... Apart from the (in my opinion) muy loco head of state. You people have tax evasion turned in to a bloody hobby... Now i did read Ron Chernovs bio on Hamilton... So it does not shock me... But still.

With that said, i do agree that Activision-Blizzard as a company would be stupid to not do it. Amoral AF but also stupid.

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Activision Blizzard and a whole lot of taxes.

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