Question:
Libs: Can you name how one dime of tax payer money that is going to big oil? Why or why not?
suthrnlyts™
2011-05-13 14:34:46 UTC
Seriously, in order to "subsidize" them, we'd have to be giving them money, wouldn't we?

So I ask again, how are we subsidizing them and exactly how much of your money are they receiving out of your pocket?

Bonus question:

Since some of you will insist that they are subsidized, although you likely won't be able to demonstrate exactly how, why are we not taking away subsidies for all corporations? Those receiving tax breaks, those receiving undeserved contracts, those receiving government perks that small corporations don't receive?

Is it fair that our government picks the winners and losers, and isn't that fascist?

So isn't it even fairer, that if you pick on one industry that all of them should receive the same treatment? Why or why not?

One more question:

Can you name one fortune 500 company that is not receiving special government perks in one form or another?
Eighteen answers:
GunnyC
2011-05-13 18:24:40 UTC
Comparing depreciation rates against regular corporate rates is exactly the answer the extreme left, class warfare and envy group uses; apples against oranges. Some of the tax rates are made because the cost of extracting from minimally efficient sites that the government still wants used has to be offset-tax deduction or higher costs or decrease domestic production and import even more. So the total tax benefits the oil industry got equaled so many dollars but they all did still pay some taxes. What did GE pay? Zero but that is alright because ?????? Do away with all tax deductions for all businesses and have all pay a flat rate. Prices will go up but who cares because we are punishing those evil businesses and corporations. We should also include labor unions in this-they should be paying taxes also, churches, charities, Political Action Groups exclude none. I did not exclude small/start up/innovative/green companies in this because once you make an exclusion why stop which is how our tax laws got so huge and convoluted that even the IRS has trouble figuring it out and who defines those sectors. No exclusions for any business, corporation, church, charity, PAC or union all take in or make money so all should pay.
Abraham Lincoln
2011-05-13 15:25:25 UTC
I do believe the term "subsidy" is incorrect. That word means getting propped up with false price supports, or else a flat out free ride like for farmers to simply not plant a field. The only thing the oil companies have is business expense write offs, deprecation of equipment and other tax amenities that ever other business gets.



I think the libs are lying again, they are mad at all the money going to shareholders instead of down some social justice rat hole.
r1b1c*
2011-05-13 14:40:52 UTC
From a VERY conservative site



What’s an Oil Subsidy?



Oil Subsidies That Should Be Removed



First, let’s take a look at oil subsidies that are obvious and unnecessary. Congress should eliminate the following subsidies:



* Government R&D. The Department of Energy (DOE) has spent taxpayer dollars on oil research and development, including funding for unconventional oil, gas, and coal. Although President Obama’s FY 2012 budget request significantly cuts funding for the Office of Fossil Energy, decreasing its size by $417.8 million below the FY 2010 appropriation, it does not go far enough. The only funding in this area should maintain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, for which the President’s budget requests an appropriate $121.7 million. Eliminating all other fossil energy funding would save $399 million.

* Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Tax Credit. Oil producers receive a 15 percent tax credit for costlier methods and technologies, such as injecting liquids and carbon dioxide into the earth. Many EOR processes are no longer in use, and the tax credit applies only when the price of oil falls below a certain level.

* Marginal Well Production Credit. Marginal wells produce 15 or fewer barrels of oil per day, produce heavy oil, or produce mostly water and fewer than 25 barrels of oil per day. The marginal well production credit is another safety-net tax provision. This is another preferential tax credit that Congress should repeal.



http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/05/Whats-an-Oil-Subsidy





From wikipedia



Public subsidy



The United States government provides a large subsidy to oil companies, with major tax breaks at virtually every stage of oil exploration and extraction. Capital expenses, including the costs of oil field leases and drilling equipment, are taxed at an effective rate of nine percent, which is a much lower rate than the 25% rate for general business taxes and lower than the taxes of virtually any other industry, according to a 2005 study by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. For example, while the Deepwater Horizon oil rig was registered in the Marshall Islands, since registering off-shore lowered the U.S. tax liability, the U.S. government was giving the rig's owner, British Petroleum (BP), a major tax break when BP leased the rig: 70% of the rent was written off in the form of a tax break used only by the oil industry, for a tax deduction of more than $225,000 per day from the day the lease began.[2



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry#Public_subsidy



====



Bonus question:



Since some of you will insist that they are subsidized, although you likely won't be able to demonstrate exactly how, why are we not taking away subsidies for all corporations?



We should take subsidies away from corporations, not industries. Let me explain, we need to subsidize nascent industries i/e biofuels, electric vehicle production etc, we don't need to subsidize large corporations that have large R&D departments. Subsidizing small companies in nascent industries is OK, subsidizing GE on windmills is idiocy.
anonymous
2011-05-13 15:29:16 UTC
A two-fer, Halliburton (HAL) # 141 in the Fortune 500, and its former subsidiary (KBR) Kellogg, Brown & Root until 2007, # 284 in the Fortune 500 by itself now.

They've been "fleecing" the taxpayers (providing "way over-priced" services for the military using foreign workers) since their creation in 1919.

Audit these two.

The Pentagon says $2.82 a gallon, but pay attention to how much delivery in a forward area costs.

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2010/April/Pages/HowMuchforaGallonofGas.aspx
?
2011-05-13 14:43:32 UTC
While the term subsidy is being used in a less than honest manner, it doesn't negate the fact that these oil companies are receiving massive tax breaks. Th oil industry gets tax breaks at almost every level of production, and in some cases will profit from tax breaks. The CBO reports that the oil industry only pays about 9% on capital investments, which is much lower than the typical 25% most other industries pay, and one of the lowest for all industry. Some of these companies use tax credits that virtually eliminate this 9% effective tax rate, and can even profit from said tax credits (that would be a subsidy). The oil companies also use the Tariff Act of 1913 to claim tax deductions that amount to more than what they paid for oil leases, as well as defining royalties paid to foreign countries as taxes, thus deducting them from their American tax payments. Oil companies are also notorious for registering their rigs in countries like Panama or the Marshall Islands in order to evade American taxes. I have attached a more in depth article if you are interested in exploring information beyond Fox News.
Paul Grass™
2011-05-13 16:47:43 UTC
No they cant a tax incentive is not a subsidy, besides Barack has punished them tremendously so did Bush with no new refineries and the restriction placed on them, which Barry's friend Soros is not subjected to down in Brazil and we gave them a ton of taxpayer funds
anonymous
2011-05-13 15:45:55 UTC
Florida Pond Scum or Swamp water or something like that. Big oil will give

up their tax break the very same moment GM and Chrysler give up theirs,

Right along with the major banks, Dow chemical and everyone else. You

honestly can not be that stupid,
anonymous
2011-05-13 15:22:57 UTC
I don't know but fe gets it and as far as the oil guys they make plenty of cash but also depending on the area like some states where they hit on in 14 wells. I just don't know but they do seem to be in great shape and if so need no cash. I find it funny that they don't want to allow them to open a plant in in NC. They might just go overseas.
anonymous
2011-05-13 14:44:55 UTC
Tax breaks for Oil companies that come from US Taxpayers:

============================================

1. Intangible drilling costs.

2. Deduction for tertiary injectants.

3. Percentage depletion allowance.

4. Passive investments.

5. Domestic manufacturing tax deduction.

6. Geological and geophysical expenditures.

7. Foreign tax credit.

8. Enhanced oil recovery credit.

9. Marginal well production.



The total government savings from eliminating these subsidies is projected to be $45 billion over 10 years.



http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/05/oil_company_subsidies.html



Special oil and tax credit of section 43 of Tax Code is just one of many sections of the tax code affording special treatment to the oil and gas industries.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode26/usc_sec_26_00000043----000-.html
AMERICA IS DEAD
2011-05-13 16:05:07 UTC
I take it you mean other than the 18 billion dollars they made off of us on which they paid no taxes. F-big oil, they are doing ok they don't need anymore of our money.
markisme
2011-05-13 14:48:19 UTC
through various tax breaks, through wars of aggression in resource rich countries, through supreme court decisions granting companies ever more rights, through reducing liability, through supporting arbitration procedures, through not giving tax breaks to emerging competitive industries, through awarding government contracts, through supporting trade deals that undermine the value of american jobs, etc. Thats how MR
anonymous
2011-05-13 14:54:49 UTC
I'm right winged and we would cut all subsidies including the wind farms.
Chi Guy
2011-05-13 14:40:47 UTC
Percentage depletion allowance -- $1 B



Foreign tax credit -- $850 million. Companies get credit for taxes they pay to other countries.



Intangible drilling costs -- $780 million (deduction)



I think there are one or two more.
anonymous
2016-04-14 03:07:48 UTC
James Bond doesn't lose at anything
NOpublican's in 2012
2011-05-13 14:39:55 UTC
Lets make it easy END ALL CORPORATE SUBSIDIES period . I have no problem with that
anonymous
2011-05-13 14:38:27 UTC
Are you tilting at windmills again frauline? You do realize the myself and my ilk have riches beyond your wildest imagination to influence your congress people and you have no say whatsoever in your "democracy".. har har har har...
Sir William Wallace
2011-05-13 14:38:44 UTC
why weren't left wingers in this kind of frenzy when we bailed out airlines, GM, or fannie mae and



freedie mac among others???i
?
2011-05-13 14:36:24 UTC
It's hard to understand libertarians, good luck.


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