The Columbian: In Our View: Amazon HQ2 Outcome Leaves Much to Unpack

But at the same time, growing wealth disparity throughout the United States is fueling mistrust of large corporations. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy last week reported that Amazon has paid no federal tax the past two years, rather than the statutory 21 percent. Following profits of $11.2 billion in 2018, the company received a federal corporate tax refund of $129 million thanks to various loopholes. The previous year, Amazon received a federal refund of $140 million. That is a sign of a broken system, and it points out the absurdity of corporate tax cuts that were a centerpiece of the 2017 tax overhaul.

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