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Jeff Bezos: Keeping the US competitive
Photo: Cliff Owen / dpa
The world's largest online retailer, Amazon, has long been criticized for its tax practices.
The company has even been happy about a negative tax rate several times and is said to have paid less taxes than the poorest 20 percent of Americans in 2018, for example.
Ironically, CEO Jeff Bezos has now spoken out in favor of higher taxes.
"We support an increase in the corporate tax rate," said Bezos on Tuesday in a statement published in Amazon's company blog.
The multibillionaire encouraged Congress and government to find a "right, balanced solution that will maintain or expand US competitiveness."
Biden criticized Amazon's tax policy
Bezos' statements are made against the background of a billion dollar infrastructure investment program that US President Joe Biden is planning - and which is to be financed in part by stronger corporate taxation.
The debate about higher taxes to the tax authorities was further fueled on Monday by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who called for a global minimum tax rate for companies.
The proposal should also be a topic at the video conference of the G20 finance ministers on Wednesday.
It is actually unusual that Bezos or Amazon express themselves publicly on politically explosive topics.
However, the group is under pressure and can currently use positive PR.
In a recent speech, US President Biden reprimanded Amazon as one of the companies that use legal loopholes to avoid tax payments.
In addition, a vote in Alabama, through which a US union could join Amazon for the first time, caused the debate over the working conditions of the group to boil again.
Perhaps it also plays a role that Bezos surprisingly announced in February that he would be retiring from the Amazon leadership.
One can only speculate about the reasons.
In any case, it is not known how his designated successor Andy Jassy assesses higher taxes.
apr / dpa