Benjamin Franklin famously said that only two things were certain in life — death and taxes. Scientists are still a long way from conquering death or even defeating debilitating disease, but many of the world's richest companies are doing their best to make sure that taxes do not have the power to reduce their profits.
Some of their supporters, who include powerful Republicans, influential think tanks and even some of the mainstream press, are going further and suggesting that it is high time to abolish all income taxation of companies.
Some do so for ideological reasons — that companies create jobs and economic growth, and should not be penalized or discouraged by taxes from doing so. Other critics assert that there are practical grounds for abolishing corporate tax, either because it is an inefficient way of raising revenue or that international companies using the most liquid resource — money — are cleverer than plodding national tax authorities and will always be able to avoid or evade the short reach and limited imagination of national tax authorities. Any tax will always be passed on anyway.