Suppose someone tells you tomorrow; “I know of a completely legal way that could save you a few thousand dollars on your tax bill next year.” Would you be interested? After all, who likes paying taxes? We hear all the time about different methods to reduce your tax bill. Do you have a child? You may be eligible for a credit. Go to school and pay the interest on the loan? You may be eligible for a credit. Do you have a business or rental property? You could write off certain expenses and offset part of your income with losses. Tax evasion (not to be confused with tax evasion) is not only acceptable, but is often considered a sound business decision and essential tactic in today's personal and business financial environment. Now consider that you are part of the management of a large multinational corporation. corporation (we'll call it Z Corp), like Apple or GE Tax planning and tax avoidance would be just one of the many tools in your toolbox when it comes to your strategic responsibilities for the organization . You are also responsible for budgets, financial statements, contracts, investments and many other financial aspects of the organization. In reality, if you worked for such a large company, you would hire tax experts (or employ a dedicated in-house tax department) tasked with evaluating revenues, expenses, business structure, and state, national and federal tax laws. international standards under which it operates.As management, perhaps on any given day your tax advisor contacts you and asks you the same question as in my opening paragraph. The offer (which would be tailored to the relative size of an international company's tax burden) might be: "I know of a completely legal way that could save the company billions per year on.. .... middle of paper ...... number of people. You also believe that the company as a "self" has the right to defend its personal interests as long as it stays within the bounds of the law. Finally, you acknowledge that tax avoidance strategies are currently widely considered to be sound business decisions and are overwhelmingly supported by both individuals and businesses. In the case of extreme examples (like those of Apple and GE), this could also easily be interpreted and perceived as corporate greed. Z-Corp management realizes, however, that “in business, we not only face questions of right and wrong, but also of right and good. We have all experienced situations in which our professional responsibilities unexpectedly conflict with our deepest values...we are caught in a conflict between right and right. And no matter which option we choose, we feel like we've failed."