Is Corporate America Getting Away With Too Little Tax?

It’s an argument that’s all too common in the business world: big multi-national companies don’t pay their fair share of taxes. A new study will only serve to add more fuel to the fire, as according to its findings, seven of the 30 biggest companies in the United States reportedly paid more to their CEOs in 2013 than they did in taxes.
The Companies
The seven companies who showed up on the list included Ford, Verizon, Boeing, General Motors, Citigroup, Chevron and JPMorgan Chase & Co. According to the study, which was conducted by the Institute for Policy Studies and the Center for Effective Government, the average CEO salary for each of these seven companies was $17.3 million.
The Other Side of the Story
However, not all of these companies agree with the numbers. For its part Verizon refutes the claim that it paid more to its CEO than it did in income taxes. The company issued a statement claiming that its total income tax bill in 2013 was $422 million. The company did not disclose a breakdown between state and federal amounts, but it did state that its CEO made much less than what it paid in federal income tax.
More Debate
All of the companies, except JPMorgan Chase, have had some kind of response to the study, and each of the companies have stressed that they abide by all tax laws and regulations, both here and abroad.
Wealthy Californians Keep Paying More in Taxes
The tax numbers are in for the state of California and all signs point to the wealthy paying more than their fair share. With tax day now behind us it’s a key time to take a closer look into the real numbers in the Golden state, especially since income taxes account for more than…
Angel Investing: As Easy as 1-2-3
In my profession I meet with a lot of investors, mainly venture capitalists and angel investors. When meeting with many of these investors I like to learn their thought process of determining whether or not a company is worth their time and resources. Monty Kersten, Independent Board Member and Angel Investor told me the…
Approaching “Star Trek”-Like Medical Technologies
Approaching “Star Trek”-Like Medical Technologies The world of technology is constantly evolving. In fact, new and emerging technologies have become a part of just about every industry in the business world. The medical world is no different and, in fact, many of the most amazing and groundbreaking technologies are created by and for the medical…
How to Efficiently Scale With Capital
The goal of most startup companies is to achieve growth and profitability. However, the process of achieving those goals can be different for every company. The key to long-term success for most startups is to scale with efficiency, but that is not always easy. I recently read an interview by Alan Olsen, CPA and…