Wal-Mart Watch In Depth: The Great Tax Dodge

As Americans around the country file their taxes this week, Wal-Mart continues to use a number of loopholes, legal strategies and untruths to avoid paying its fair share of taxes. Learn more about all the company’s tax avoidance strategies in Wal-Mart Watch In Depth, issue 5 - “The Great Tax Dodge.” From the introduction:

When Wal-Mart wants to build a store in a new community, it makes a lot of promises. The company paints an alluring picture of a bustling local economy with more jobs, increased tax revenue and a thriving shopping district all centered around the town’s sparkling new Wal-Mart store. As American communities struggle to cope with budget shortfalls and a slowing economy, it is not surprising that many bend over backwards to bring Wal-Mart to town.

Unfortunately, communities often experience a much different reality. Studies have shown the retailer routinely drives down area wages and eliminates retail jobs. As local businesses close their
doors, towns become more dependent on Wal-Mart for tax revenue. However, the company has developed elaborate mechanisms for avoiding its taxes, leaving our cities and towns high and dry.

Throughout this issue of In Depth, we examine the myriad ways that Wal-Mart avoids paying taxes or uses public dollars for its private endeavors. Many of these practices, while technically legal, effectively abdicate the responsibilities Wal-Mart agreed to when it negotiated to enter a community. This is unfair to the working men and women who shop at Wal-Mart and pay their taxes every day.

Click here to download the document (PDF).

Posted by Media Team on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Click Here for a Printer-Friendly Version

COMMENTS

Wal-Mart is a straight company but they try so hard to shutdown the little man so I think we should help the little man like my best friend has a nice website through Amazon great deals on everything www.greatdealsforless.com stop by and check it out

Tim in Alabama
Friday, April 18 at 09:11 AM

Tim,

“Wal-Mart is a straight company but they try so hard to shutdown the little man”

You have to understand one thing, ANY business is in business to sell their products and increase sales, this is called ‘competition’!!  It has nothing to do with shutting down the ‘little guy’!!  Even with your best friend’s website, don’t you think his aim, is to take business away from other businesses?  If not, where do you think his customers will come from?  And, if he’s is successful, he might even put someone else’s business in jeopardy, unless they can find a way to ‘compete’ with your friend!! 

BTW:  Good Luck to your friend, I hope he succeeds in his endeavor!!

RDS in
Friday, April 18 at 11:06 PM

Ok, so you are all fed up with WalMart… Got it.  Now what are you going to do about it?  You know Wal Mart has some very capable competitors such as Target (known for their better quality) and Kmart, etc.  So...are you badmouthing WalMart on Friday while shopping there on Sunday?  Sounds pretty hypocritical… Don’t like what they are doing to your community?  Shop elsewhere, or continue being a hypocrite and knowing it!  Don’t respond here...respond in action!  Word and deed...right?

Lana Marie in Denver, CO
Thursday, April 24 at 06:03 PM

Well, fiorst things first.  We can blame a snake for being a snake any more than we can blame a business (walmart) for acting just like a business.
However, we CAN blame ourselves for knowing this and still believing their lies and manipulations.
We al have shopped there because, especially when the money is tight, the temptation can be too graet not to.  If we need something, yet don’t have enough to buy it elsewhere, we will compromise on it’s quality and buy from Walmart at times.  however, we understand that it’s our civic duty to do the right thing and not allow big-business to force us to depend on them so we spread the wealth, support the little guy or at least support the other chains that provide higher quality, and american made products. .. but that’s because WE are Americans who have a love and pride for this country and it’s well-being ...

It’s funny how al things related to stresses in our economy are related to over-population.. and how an over-population of low-income and poverty-mentality people will ruin small town america.

Secure our borders, stop the invasion of low-everything (education, income, morality) illegal imigrants and that will illiminate not only the strain of having 15+million low-income mouths to feed and provide free medical for and all-day day care for (I mean public “schooling” ), but willl stop feeding the walmart beast everyday, all day long.

they have NO love for this country and could care less about outr laws and poilicies (obviously) and only want what they can pull from he land.

Matt in Hemet, CA
Thursday, April 24 at 09:12 PM

how come no one ever complains about the numerous other companies in america that cheat on their taxes and do far worse than walmart ever does or has ever done?where are all the walmart haters on here hollering about the other companies doing worse?

m att hew vantress in gresham,oregon
Saturday, April 26 at 03:14 AM

Walmart ranks #6 in Charity Giving

SJ in
Monday, April 28 at 12:09 PM

Walmart ranks # 6 in Charity giving

SJ in
Monday, April 28 at 12:10 PM

Walmart has become too big and powerful ‘ and growing each day.  There is no way they are going to start paying decent living wages now.  Only Unionizing the workers will make that happen, and put a stop to thier abuse of the workforce.  Walmarts great strength is keeping out Unions and leaving Walmart free to do whatever they like , get rid of anyone they want for whatever reason , pay peanuts.

james in
Tuesday, April 29 at 06:59 AM

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