Starbucks anyone?

750 outlets in the UK and they make £0 profit here?
 
At least that's what they tell the tax man in order not to pay a penny in corporation tax.
 
These people more than the unfortunates that often get the finger pointed at them for not contributing are the true leeches on society.
 
Oh, and now they've suddenly found a £10m contribution following a public outcry.
 
We're all being told to tighten our individual belts while multi-national corporates go around exploiting what little is left and answer to nobody but themselves with a little creative accounting.
 
I get a bitter after taste from that stuff, not for me thanks.

There was a great coffee shop round here run by an Italian family for nearly 3 generations, they managed to make a good way of life here until they turned up and killed them off with all their 'cool' branding and their overpriced 'dishwater'.

They are building a Drive-Thru Starbux around the corner from us (within' walking distance, it would be ironic if I drank coffee since I rarely walk for anything).




(Am) = Bapu's house

Bub

musicman100

there is a Starbuxs here on our college campus..

all the aspiring Gen Yers and Hipster Yuppies cart around their $6  a cup brews like a Red Badge Of Courage

If anyone charged me $6 bucks for a cup of coffee, you'd probably read about it on the nightly news.

I've never been in to a Starbucks ... are you serious? $6 bucks for a cup of coffee???

Oh yea PLUS tax !!!

(A) = Bapu's house

Don't you mean "Am"

bapu


They are building a Drive-Thru Starbux around the corner from us (within' walking distance, it would be ironic if I drank coffee since I rarely walk for anything).




(A) = Bapu's house

Nice freshly painted stair rails you've got there Mr. B!

craigb

Jonbouy


750 outlets in the UK and they make £0 profit here?
 
At least that's what they tell the tax man in order not to pay a penny in corporation tax.
 
These people more than the unfortunates that often get the finger pointed at them for not contributing are the true leeches on society.
 
Oh, and now they've suddenly found a £10m contribution following a public outcry.
 
We're all being told to tighten our individual belts while multi-national corporates go around exploiting what little is left and answer to nobody but themselves with a little creative accounting.
 
I get a bitter after taste from that stuff, not for me thanks.

Maybe someone didn't count the beans correctly?  Sounds like grounds for an audit, ya?  

Don't think that post went through the filter...
 
Thing is what they are claiming is technically legal.  Offsetting the costs of acquiring a property portfolio consisting of property all in Grade A trading areas in every major town and city in the UK.
 
So basically they are getting a tax-break to become landlords and using the Coffee sales to fund those acquisitions.
 
Nice work if you can get it.  When the Coffee business goes south you just sell short-term leases and collect the rent from wherever your yacht is anchored.
 
They can't say fairer than that.

For fun, walk in and ask for a large, black coffee.  Expect blank stares. 

Jonbouy


750 outlets in the UK and they make £0 profit here?
 
At least that's what they tell the tax man in order not to pay a penny in corporation tax.
 
These people more than the unfortunates that often get the finger pointed at them for not contributing are the true leeches on society.
 
Oh, and now they've suddenly found a £10m contribution following a public outcry.
 
We're all being told to tighten our individual belts while multi-national corporates go around exploiting what little is left and answer to nobody but themselves with a little creative accounting.
 
I get a bitter after taste from that stuff, not for me thanks.

Don't even like coffee personally, so I fail to see what all the fuss is about with various brands - it's all wasted on me.

The way I see the tax issue is that it's the system that is wrong not the companies that play them.  There's an awful lot of hypocrisy on this matter - it seems that people think it's perfectly reasonable for Joe Bloggs, the self-employed decorator to employ an accountant to mimimise his exposure to tax, but not ok when big companies do it . Who has honestly never looked at their tax bill or PAYE deductions if you are an employee and resented them ? Certain famous individuals were recently pilloried in the UK for participating in a perfectly legal tax avoidance scheme which resulted in them paying something like 1%. What wasn't mentioned at all was that it was 1% of several millions, which is still far more than the majority of the complainers will have paid. What they/their accountants did is allowed according to the law. Simples.

I don't really see how Starbucks are "leeching" either. They may be using legal loopholes to avoid paying corporation tax, but they are still employing people and contributing to the tax/NI system that way. I don't know how many staff 750 outlets equates to, but it will be a significant number of people who may otherwise be claiming benefits.

In an interview with the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Warren Buffett said that “The single most important decision in evaluating a business is pricing power." If any one coffee business has pricing power, it would have to be Starbucks ). Starbucks introduction of the $7.00 grande cup of Costa Rica Finca Palmilera coffee yesterday served as a stark reminder to its competitors and potential market entrants: Starbucks has pricing power.

Please, don't tell me we're going to get in a fight over coffee.

*sIgH*

musicman100

Do you at least get a free refill? Sheesh!

Citigroup are the A.... holes.

musicman100

Bub

musicman100

Do you at least get a free refill? Sheesh!

No, but they write your name on the cup!!!

Why would I want "Bub" on my cup though?

paulo

Jonbouy


750 outlets in the UK and they make £0 profit here?

At least that's what they tell the tax man in order not to pay a penny in corporation tax.

These people more than the unfortunates that often get the finger pointed at them for not contributing are the true leeches on society.

Oh, and now they've suddenly found a £10m contribution following a public outcry.

We're all being told to tighten our individual belts while multi-national corporates go around exploiting what little is left and answer to nobody but themselves with a little creative accounting.

I get a bitter after taste from that stuff, not for me thanks.

Don't even like coffee personally, so I fail to see what all the fuss is about with various brands - it's all wasted on me.

The way I see the tax issue is that it's the system that is wrong not the companies that play them.  There's an awful lot of hypocrisy on this matter - it seems that people think it's perfectly reasonable for Joe Bloggs, the self-employed decorator to employ an accountant to mimimise his exposure to tax, but not ok when big companies do it . Who has honestly never looked at their tax bill or PAYE deductions if you are an employee and resented them ? Certain famous individuals were recently pilloried in the UK for participating in a perfectly legal tax avoidance scheme which resulted in them paying something like 1%. What wasn't mentioned at all was that it was 1% of several millions, which is still far more than the majority of the complainers will have paid. What they/their accountants did is allowed according to the law. Simples.

I don't really see how Starbucks are "leeching" either. They may be using legal loopholes to avoid paying corporation tax, but they are still employing people and contributing to the tax/NI system that way. I don't know how many staff 750 outlets equates to, but it will be a significant number of people who may otherwise be claiming benefits.

It's quite simple really global companies should pay a national premium to operate a territory where they know they are going to make money, a percentage.
Yes people exploit loopholes in the tax system it doesn't make them fair.
 
As for the employment issue isn't it just a statistical difference between being paid peanuts by a firm like this when there are no jobs that provide real opportunities and provide these companies with greater margins when they can exploit the emotional response of taking them off the unemployment figures.
 
Simple fair play shouldn't be a difficult ideal to aim at, for builder, account or multi-national alike.
 
Yes they are leeches when people who end up in real difficulty through no fault of their own have the finger pointed at them for a national shortfall all the while somebody is happily scooping the froth off the top.
 
How many of these much publicised but rarely seen benefit cheats does it take to catch up with the 20m that Starbucks have now suddenly been able to offer out of 'good-will' for not paying a penny for the last 3 years?  They've made that offer simply because the publicity may affect their bottom line.  If they were merely breaking even like their figures would suggest why bother trading at all?
 
If you were to believe popular media as your comments about the contribution they make toward employment would suggest you do, have a look at how McDonalds operate foreign territories.  You'd think if you believed what was written they would be among the worst, but because they've been in the game long enough to know it's good business to give something back to the territories they operate in they provide true opportunities through franchising and various other initiatives that have helped prolong their business interests on foriegn shores.  It maybe argued they have not done so willingly but clearly they've got more experience at it than this lot.
 
Embrace the economy you operate in, make it better instead of fleecing it then everyone is a winner.  It can be done.
 
Farmers have known for centuries you have to put as much back into the soil you use to grow on otherwise through constant exploitation (however elegantly or legally done) you quickly end up with a barren dust-bowl.  It ain't rocket science.