Barack Obama might back territorial tax system: business chief
The chief of a group of more than 200 CEOs said on Thursday that President Barack Obama had told the business community last month he might back a territorial tax system, a regime that would exempt offshore corporate profits from US taxation.
Corporate America is pushing for the United States to move to such a regime to make businesses more competitive against foreign rivals that pay no taxes on overseas earnings. The United States currently taxes corporate profits earned abroad only when they are brought into the country.
In 2011, then Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner privately agreed to move to such a regime in failed talks with Republicans to secure a major budget deal, according to aides present.
During last year's presidential election campaign, Vice President Joe Biden criticized a territorial tax system, employing populist rhetoric to blast companies that shift their business and jobs abroad.
John Engler, president of the Business Roundtable, a CEO lobbying group, said that in meetings during last month's budget standoff between the White House and Congress, Obama was moving back in the business community's direction on the issue.
"He reaffirmed his support for corporate tax reform and he was acknowledging the importance of ... a territorial system, which I think had been a little bit of a question," Engler said.
A White House official on Thursday said Obama is eager to "pursue corporate tax reform that lowers the rate ... but does not believe that a pure territorial system is the best way to achieve this goal."
A territorial system is
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