Kentucky Can Do Better
Corporations Avoiding Their Fair Share
A recent study by Citizens for Tax Justice(CTJ) and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) shows the extent to which large corporations have dodged their responsibilities to states like Kentucky in recent years.
More and more, big corporations are finding ways to avoid their taxes by taking advantage of loopholes that allow them to, for instance, shift their profits to no- or low-tax states. This despite the fact that they continue to benefit from public investment in schools, highways, public safety, and more. “As a result,” notes the report, “individual taxpayers and purely in-state (usually smaller) businesses are paying a heavy price, in the form of higher taxes, reduced public services and unfair competition.”
The study examined the annual reports of 252 Fortune 500 companies and found that:
Good Corporate Citizens?!? You Be the Judge
Following is a sample of some of the corporations that have avoided paying
their fair share in taxes. The tax rate paid by these corporations between
2001 and 2003 is noted. Compare this to the average state corporate
tax rate of 6.8 percent to see just how much they’ve dodged their
responsibilities.
Corporation & Its Actual Tax Rate
Toys “R” Us -4.0 %
AT & T -0.6 %
Manpower -0.5 %
Lexmark 0.0 %
Southwest Airlines 0.0 %
Sears 0.9 %
Dollar General 2.4 %
YUM Brands 2.5 %
Walmart 2.6 %
Tyson Foods 2.7 %
ExxonMobil 2.8 %
McDonald’s 4.8 %
For more on the study's findings in Kentucky go to:
KEJA Press Release (02/02/2005) -- New National Study Confirms Kentucky Revenue Problem: Major U.S. Corporations Paying Little or Nothing in State Taxes
It’s time these large corporations pay their fair share for the public services that help make them profitable.
FAIR: Fairness & Investment,
Right For
KY
Kentucky Can Do Better