Accusations have been made that the “Silicon 6” consisting of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Netflix have avoided paying approximately $278 billion in taxes in the past decade in the United States.

According to a new study published by the non-profit Fair Tax Foundation (FTF), America’s leading tech giants have gained nearly $300 billion in tax advantages in the last decade. The companies known as the “Silicon 6”, which include Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Netflix, have collectively generated $11 trillion in revenue and $2.5 trillion in profit during this period. However, the corporate tax rate paid by these corporate giants was significantly lower than the average rate of 29.7% considered for companies in the United States. The research reveals that on average, the Silicon 6 paid only 18.8% in national and federal corporate taxes, dropping to 16.1% when certain exceptions were excluded. FTF CEO Paul Monaghan stated in a press release, “Our analysis shows that tax avoidance is continuing to be an integral part of corporate structures.” Monaghan emphasized that tech giants not only hold significant economic power but also wield substantial political influence. The favorable attitudes of figures like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook towards Donald Trump were highlighted in the report. Netflix was found to have the lowest tax rate paid at 14.7%, followed by Meta at 15.4%, Amazon at 19.6%, and Microsoft at 20.4%. Factors contributing to the companies achieving low tax rates included foreign earnings being subject to lower rates and profits being reported in low-tax countries like Luxembourg. Spokespeople for Meta and Netflix, speaking to The Independent, stated that they comply with tax regulations in every country they operate in, while an Amazon spokesperson described the report as “extremely misleading.” Amazon emphasized that they are a retail giant with low profit margins, and operate according to the rules set by lawmakers. The company disclosed that they have invested over $1.2 billion in the US and over 250 billion euros in Europe since 2010.