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E.U. ends tax breaks that benefit Starbucks, Apple
Brussels – Major multinational retailers such as Starbucks and Apple will have to start paying higher taxes in Europe, thanks to a move by the European Union (E.U.) to end certain tax breaks it has now defined as “state aid,” which is prohibited by E.U. bylaws. These breaks, which member nations including Ireland, Luxembourg, and Netherlands have used to allow some types of profit to be classified as tax-deductible debt, had come under fire from other E.U. nations and the U.S.
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Retailer bankruptcies: what suppliers need to know
The U.S. economy has undergone significant financial and social upheaval over the past five years, with companies seemingly invincible to the vagaries of the financial markets disappearing overnight. Many companies have been forced to contract by closing unprofitable stores, laying off employees, reducing spending, deferring research and development, or have been acquired by more profitable companies. With few exceptions, those companies that have survived have done so by cutting costs to the bone.
