Close Corporate Tax Loopholes

LOOPHOLES COST TAXPAYERS $100 BILLION LAST YEAR

No company should be able to game the tax system to avoid paying what it legitimately owes. And, yet, establishing shell companies in offshore havens for the purpose of tax avoidance is becoming more the rule than the exception for at least 83 of the nation's top 100 publicly traded companies. GE, Google, Goldman Sachs and dozens of others have created hundreds of phantom entities with nothing more than a clever tax attorney and P.O. box.

Official estimates of how much we lose in tax revenue are between $70 billion and $100 billion per year. That's money that is shouldered by average taxpayers, either through additional taxes today or additional debt to be paid by the next generation. It’s not illegal, but it’s not right. The result? The average taxpayer paid $434 more this year to cover the $100 billion that GE and others that use offshore tax havens skipped out on. And small businesses and companies that don’t use these schemes have to struggle to compete with those that do.

Meanwhile, the state Legislature and Congress are considering deep cuts for essential public programs — from education, to health care, to clean air and drinking water. They’re asking us to tighten our belts and make sacrifices, while giving the tax haven crew a free ride. We are pushing for common-sense changes that simply say that if corporations are based here and generate profits here, then they should, like all of us who earn income here, pay the taxes they owe.

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News Release | Iowa PIRG | Tax

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average Iowa Taxpayer $897 a Year, Iowa Small Businesses $2,712

With Tax Day approaching, it’s a good time to be reminded of where our tax dollars are going. Sonia Ashe of Iowa PIRG was joined today by Sue Dinsdale of the Iowa Citizen Action Network and Lora Fraracci, owner of local cleaning service Earth Made Clean, to release a new study which revealed that the average Iowa taxpayer in 2012 would have to shoulder an extra $897 in taxes to make up for the revenue lost due to the use of offshore tax havens by corporations and wealthy individuals.

Report | Iowa PIRG | Budget, Tax

Picking Up the Tab 2013

Some U.S.-based multinational firms and individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by using accounting tricks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes. They benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

News Release | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Sun Shines on Government Spending in Iowa

Iowa received a “B” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by the Iowa PIRG Education Fund

Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Following the Money 2013

Every year, state governments spend tens of billions of dollars through contracts with private entities for goods and services, subsidies to encourage economic development, grants, and other forms of spending. Accountability and public scrutiny are necessary to ensure that state funds are well spent.

Media Hit | Tax

Corporate wrongdoing should not be tax deductible

Although we seem to generally be on the road to economic recovery — my blood still boils when I think about the role big banks played in the mortgage crisis that drove our economy to the brink of collapse. It boils a little more when I remember the record profits they enjoyed afterwards, and the multibillion dollar bonuses they doled out after benefiting from a taxpayer bailout.

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News Release | Iowa PIRG | Tax

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average Iowa Taxpayer $897 a Year, Iowa Small Businesses $2,712

With Tax Day approaching, it’s a good time to be reminded of where our tax dollars are going. Sonia Ashe of Iowa PIRG was joined today by Sue Dinsdale of the Iowa Citizen Action Network and Lora Fraracci, owner of local cleaning service Earth Made Clean, to release a new study which revealed that the average Iowa taxpayer in 2012 would have to shoulder an extra $897 in taxes to make up for the revenue lost due to the use of offshore tax havens by corporations and wealthy individuals.

News Release | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Sun Shines on Government Spending in Iowa

Iowa received a “B” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by the Iowa PIRG Education Fund

Media Hit | Tax

Corporate wrongdoing should not be tax deductible

Although we seem to generally be on the road to economic recovery — my blood still boils when I think about the role big banks played in the mortgage crisis that drove our economy to the brink of collapse. It boils a little more when I remember the record profits they enjoyed afterwards, and the multibillion dollar bonuses they doled out after benefiting from a taxpayer bailout.

News Release | Iowa PIRG Ed Fund | Tax

Offshore Tax Dodging Blows a $260 Million Hole in Iowa’s Budget

In the midst of debates over Iowa’s budget, Iowa PIRG Ed Fund released a new study revealing that Iowa lost $260 million due to offshore tax dodging in 2012. Many of America’s wealthiest individuals and largest corporations, including 83 of the 100 largest publicly traded companies, use tax loopholes to shift profits made in the United States to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes.

News Release | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

First Step to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff: Close Offshore Tax Loopholes

With Congress scrambling to agree on ways to reduce the deficit, U.S. PIRG released a new analysis pointing out a clear first step to avoid the “fiscal cliff”: closing offshore tax loopholes. Many of America’s largest corporations and wealthiest individuals use accounting gimmicks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes. This tax avoidance costs the federal government an estimated $150 billion in tax revenue each year. U.S. PIRG’s new data illustrates the size of this loss with 16 dramatic ways $150 billion could be spent.

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Result | Budget, Tax

New Transparency in Government Spending for Iowans

Iowa PIRG put pressure on decision makers to provide Iowans with transparent information about government spending - allowing us to hold government officials accountable when it comes to the public purse.

Result | Tax

Closing Contractor Loopholes

Iowa PIRG, in federation with state PIRGs across the country, backed a new law to close that loophole and another law requiring contractors to pay back taxes before being awarded new contracts

Report | Iowa PIRG | Budget, Tax

Picking Up the Tab 2013

Some U.S.-based multinational firms and individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by using accounting tricks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes. They benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Following the Money 2013

Every year, state governments spend tens of billions of dollars through contracts with private entities for goods and services, subsidies to encourage economic development, grants, and other forms of spending. Accountability and public scrutiny are necessary to ensure that state funds are well spent.

Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

The Hidden Cost of Offshore Tax Havens

When U.S. corporations and wealthy individuals use offshore tax havens to avoid paying taxes to the federal government, it is an abuse of our tax system. Tax haven abusers benefit from our markets, infrastructure, educated workforce, and security, but they pay next to nothing for these benefits. Ultimately, taxpayers must pick up the tab, either in the form of higher taxes, cuts to public spending priorities, or increased national debt.

Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Budget, Tax

What America Could Do With $150 Billion Lost to Offshore Tax Havens

Many corporations and wealthy individuals use offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes—to avoid paying $150 billion in U.S. taxes each year. By shielding their income from U.S. taxes, corporations and wealthy individuals shift the tax burden to ordinary Americans, who must pick up the tab in the form of cuts to public services, more debt, or higher taxes. The $150 billion lost annually to offshore tax havens is a lot of money, especially at a time of difficult budget choices. To put this sum in perspective, we present 16 potential ways that income could be used.

Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Picking Up the Tab

Some U.S.-based multinational firms or individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by transferring their earnings to tax haven countries with minimal or no taxes. These tax haven users benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

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Some of the nation’s best-known companies—including GE, Google and Goldman Sachs—have avoided paying the taxes they owe, costing us $100 billion last year.

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