Investigators: Enron taxes 'eye-popping'

[lewislynn]

So tell me again about all the taxes those poor corporations are paying.

[TheConservator]

If we had a national retail sales tax, we wouldn't need to worry about schemes like this.

[Auntie Dem]

What that article doesn't tell you is the deduction the corporation got for the stock options is treated as taxable compensation to the employees exercising them. In many cases the employee (particularly a highly compensated one) will pay taxes at a rate higher than the corporation would. 39.6% for the individual vs. 35% for the corporation.

Furthermore, even when corporations pay taxes, they don't pay them, their customers pay them.

[lewislynn]

If we had a national retail sales tax, we wouldn't need to worry about schemes like this.

Yea right because all corporation's tax burdens would be shifted directly to you the consumer. It's becoming more and more obvious that Republicans aren't the party of less spending. Where else do you think the money would come from to fund the ever growing government scams?

[Auntie Dem]

One more thing, the article uses incorrect terminology when it says Enron got a tax "rebate". There is no such thing as a corporate tax rebate, Enron received a refund of taxes they had paid in advance, and probably didn't even get any interest on it. In other words, the IRS had use of millions of Enron's money at no interest for nearly a year.

BTW, I'm no fan of Enron, or their greedy execs, but you can't trust a biased left-wing press to give you the truth about matters they know nothing about.

[lewislynn]

. Furthermore, even when corporations pay taxes, they don't pay them, their customers pay them.

If that's the case the ultimate tax reform would be to eliminate taxes on all individuals and tax only corporations.

You've never had a business have you?

[poorman]

There is no reason to worry.

A few payoffs and everything will be ok.

The crooked ones always seem to slip away without so much as a slap on the wrist.

A friend of a friend that knows the brother of the judge will take care of the whole situation.

Just have to wait until the public is tired of hearing about the whole thing and it stops being newsworthy.

Then it will just quietly fade away.

The ones that made millions will still have millions and the ones that lost everything will still have nothing.

And who said that money can't fix everything.

[lewislynn]

you can't trust a biased left-wing press to give you the truth about matters they know nothing about.

So where do you get your information?

[Hank Rearden]

If Big Stupid Government had gotten all that extra tax money from Enron, it would have just pissed it away anyway.

I'm never in favor of Big Stupid Government getting more loot. And I'll brook no "if they pay more, we pay less" crap. Everyone always pays more, as long as Big Stupid Government gets its way and American Revolution 2.0 continues to be postponed. The first one started with a 3% tax on tea. They steal a lot more than that now.

[lewislynn]

If Big Stupid Government had gotten all that extra tax money from Enron, it would have just pissed it away anyway.

Does that mean we don't have to send them any too?

[Moonman62]

All those evil corporations should pay all our taxes.

[lewislynn]

All those evil corporations should pay all our taxes.

If it's us or them I'll take them. You of course would take us.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[RJL]

I am sure the media will try to paint President Bush as guilty in this along with Enron.

Just remember, Enron's criminal activities started and flourished during the Clinton administration, and the criminal actions were discovered and prosecuted during the Bush administration.

[Auntie Dem]

I get my information from 32 years of work experience, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a CPA license, and owning my own business, as well as having hands-on experience in small to medium-sized business accounting and tax departments, as well as 14 years inside the IRS where I examined the books and financial statements of thousands of businesses, big and small.

You know as well as I do that the media's reporting on Enron and its abuses is designed to embarass or implicate the Bush administration, even though all their fraud occurred during the Clinton watch. A fact they conveniently omit.

Do you REALLY think you don't pay a corporation's taxes when you buy their product? Here's a hint...they aren't using any of their money.

[vannrox]

.

VECTIGALIA NERVI SUNT REI PUBLICAE.

.

[lewislynn]

OK. You sought me out, then spewed the same hieroglyphics on two different occaisons for no apparent reason....Am I supposed to understand your idiocy?

[vannrox]

"Taxes are the Snews of a Tyrant."

[Oberon]

Do you REALLY think you don't pay a corporation's taxes when you buy their product? Here's a hint...they aren't using any of their money.

No... but the added expense of the passed-on tax artificially inflates the price of the purchased good or service, therefore artificially suppressing the buying power of the customer. The end result is that the customer would be able to spend more money on the company's product, if they didn't have to pay a chunk to the government.

Taxes suppress the market. Some taxes are made artificially high specifically for that purpose... excise taxes come to mind.

All of which you know, of course.

[lewislynn]

Do you REALLY think you don't pay a corporation's taxes when you buy their product?

All your experience aside. I can tell you I am a business and I, not you or anyone else pays my taxes...Who pays your taxes?

As an example, was there an immediate rise in transportation costs to offset the escalating price of fuel?...NO!...Will all companies raise their prices or will some absorb the cost in reduced profits?...The same is true of taxes.

If companies could automatically raise their prices for taxes, what's stopping them from raising them for no reason?