Tax and the very rich

Jim Rose (January 18) asks ‘‘which of Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft or Oracle would you prefer not to have been founded in the name of a more equal society and higher taxes on entrepreneurs?’’ Do these men and their companies really pay higher taxes? A quick internet search of recent news items brings up many stories of tax avoidance by their companies.

Apple pays more tax in New Zealand than many similar companies and it paid only $9 million last year. It has taken advantage of global tax loopholes that have lured jobs and taxes to countries like Ireland. Now Ireland is demanding back taxes of $20 billion from Apple.

Facebook paid just $43,000 tax in New Zealand, according to its most recent financial statements filed with the Companies Office.

A number of the founders are well known for their philanthropy and that is laudable; however, paying US-equivalent wages to their employees in Asian countries, instead of sweat shop pay rates and conditions, and paying their due tax here and elsewhere would go a long way to leading me to believe that their wealth is not ‘‘beyond grotesque’’. MARGARET McKAY Lower Hutt