Apple pays so few taxes in Germany – approximated 2,8% taxes on their earnings – that the public is totally pissed (but it is for incomprehensible reasons legal). World wide Apple made ~62 billion dollar last year, but paid only ~25 million tax in Germany (0,2% of the total). At the same time they sell a lot of products here, this is so wrong. I guess Amazon is not better, but the real sinner is Apple.
Did they pay taxes on the revenue they made in Germany? If so, I'm not sure what your problem is with them? Are you saying that they, a company that owes nothing to Germany, given it wasn't helped by the country at all really in terms of benefits, talent or monetarily, should have to subsidize a country based on the fact that they're successful in other markets?
If every country had that kind of a notion towards taxing, Apple would have less than 1M in profit after paying everyone taxes based on global earnings.
Almost not.
> If so, I'm not sure what your problem is with them?
Apple is probably the company paying fewest taxes of all companies in Germany. Normal mortals pay much much more taxes.
There is a difference between paying almost no taxes, and paying the same tax as everyone else. In the end small businesses can't move their money to Cayman islands or wherever and factually circumvent the law. We have a lot of old infrastructure which needs some money, like schools: http://www.spiegel.de/lebenundlernen/schule/lehrerverband-fo... -> such buildings are not uncommon in certain areas.
One of the biggest newspapers and one of the most prestigious in Germany (Zeit) estimated that Europe lost alone over iPhone sales in the last five years 8 billion euro taxes.
VAT is a tax paid by the consumer, not vendor or manufacturer.