Tax Me If You Can (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
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2023-04-18に共有
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As the documentary “Tax Me If You Can” explored, the tax shelter became one of corporate America’s biggest hidden profit centers in the 1990s and early 2000s. The General Accounting Office estimated that bogus tax shelters at the time cost the government more than $85 billion.
Correspondent Hedrick Smith spoke with government officials, tax experts and industry insiders to expose these tax shelters. His reporting led him to some unexpected places — from the city of Dortmund, Germany, to the Cayman Islands. The documentary examined how difficult it was for the Internal Revenue Service to find tax shelters and how the tax shelter wave prompted a federal investigation. The ultimate victim in this scheme, experts in the documentary said, is the honest taxpayer who is left to make up what companies aren’t paying.
“Tax Me If You Can” is a FRONTLINE production with Hedrick Smith Productions. The co-writer, director and producer is Rick Young. The co-writer, correspondent and senior producer is Hedrick Smith.
Explore additional reporting on "Tax Me If You Can" on our website:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tax/
#Documentary #Taxes #TaxShelter
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Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.
CHAPTERS:
Prologue - 00:00
America’s Tax Shelter Epidemic - 1:17
How American Companies Used Cross-Border Leasing Deals For Tax Benefits - 4:06
IRS Struggled Amid ‘90s Tax Shelter Epidemic - 11:07
Steering The Wealthy Into Tax Schemes - 22:20
A Federal Investigation Into Tax Shelter Abuses - 35:09
Tax Schemes Adapt To New Rules - 43:28
Credits - 52:40
コメント (21)
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Since “Tax Me If You Can” originally broadcast in February 2004, federal prosecutors filed the largest criminal tax case in U.S. history against the accounting firm KPMG LLP on Aug. 29, 2005. For more on this update, visit our website: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tax/etc/upd…
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Almost 20 years later, it's the same game. Even Trump, as President, said we shouldn't complain that he doesn't pay taxes because our lawmakers use the same laws (that they made) to avoid paying taxes, too.
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12:42 "the law let's companies keep two separate set of books" This fact should be enough to convince anyone that our tax system is rigged in America. Unacceptable.
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I'm so pleased you are providing an audio translation of the foreign language in this episode. It makes it so much nicer for those with vision issues. Thank you!
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I remember that when I became a CPA in 1969, not quite 22 years old yet, ethics were an important part of our instruction. Accounting firms actually did accounting and auditing. We did tax returns only for our accounting clients as a byproduct, not as a line of business. Seeing this, I'm glad I was drafted (that happened then) and became a Marine and Naval Aviator because we still observe ethical standards. The taxpayers don't make the tax law. Yet no one blames the Congress that enacts these things. One alternative is to have no corporate income tax. Instead, all income could flow to the shareholders where it would be taxed at their various rates. Publicly reported income would become taxable income when passed through. I don't advocate that possibility, I only point it out, because it would have problems too.
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Deutsche Bank sure pops up a lot when discussing corruption and questionable financial schemes.
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Nothing has changed in 20 years. I live in small town Colorado, yet my neighbor's "local" business is headquartered in Delaware... To say nothing of the billionaires and multi-national corps paying virtually nothing. Good thing the IRS knows when I deposit a whopping $500 in my bank account.
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The financial system has been artificially pumped for over a decade to ensure big pockets were lined; and now those same hands will make a fortune in the largest transfer of wealth in human history by shorting it on the way down. Inflation does have a roll, but that's to keep everyone panicked, and focused on their bills and expenses, rather than focus on the capital crimes of politicians and corporations,I'm still at a crossroads deciding if to liquidate my $338k stock portfolio, what’s the best way to take advantage of this bear market?
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Man it's wild to be an accounting student in 2023 and have professors quoting some of the legalese from these lawsuits at us to make points about why some rules are the way they are now.
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For every tax deduction and credit there is a special interest group that will fight like hell to maintain it.
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As a young auditor who practiced beginning in 2000, I can attest to these sorts of schemes. I was green at the time and didn’t want to ask too many questions, but basically this is the shell game that I witnessed on a grand scale.
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This is what you get when you devise a tax code that is so complicated it's difficult to comply even if you wanted to. The government created this mess and then gets angry at the taxpayers who take advantage of it.
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Very powerful documentary to expose the whole gangs of accounting and law firms. Thanks a lot for producing this
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The IRS needs to stop harassing the average citizen who are working their asses off and having to pay more tax after working all year and start busting these corporate tax defrauders and give us honest workers a break!
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Almost 20 years ago, would love to see a follow-up video!
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We work for years just to have a $1million, while some people put thousands of dollars in some meme coins and they're millionaires.
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What an amazing report. Well done keep it coming!
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A new-to-me PBS Frontline documentary, my night just got better 🙌
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This has been going on for many decades now. It's nothing new. I'm very glad to see that Frontline is willing to expose these scammers and cheaters. I also highly recommend the documentaries "America: Freedom to Fascism" and "The Corporation". Thank you.
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Great reporting. Thank you!
