
Nick Shaxson ■ Pfizer: tax dodger, price gouger

A new report from Americans for Tax Fairness concludes:
“In addition to dodging its fair share of taxes, Pfizer—maker of Celebrex, Lipitor, Lyrica, and Viagra, among many other health-care products—has also been aggressively raising prescription drug prices, thereby straining patients and our health care system and in some cases putting needed medications out of reach.
By dodging taxes while boosting prescription drug prices, Pfizer squeezes American families and communities from two sides at once. In the company’s biggest insult to America yet, Pfizer’s merger will allow it to go on enjoying all the benefits of being based here—everything from a publicly educated workforce to an excellent communications infrastructure to a reliable patent system—without adequately paying to support them.”
The two wealth-extracting techniques go together, very often. This is what modern capitalism is increasingly becoming.
Why doesn’t Pfizer’s leadership focus on what it was originally set up to do: wealth creation? And don’t get us started on shareholder value.
Related articles

Tax Justice Network Arabic podcast, edition 39: الجباية ببساطة #٣٩- العدالة الضريبية وتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة

The Tax Justice Network’s French podcast: L’idée d’un système fiscal international désormais acquise au niveau des Nations Unies #25

Beneficial ownership verification: exploring Belgium’s sophisticated system

Tax Justice Network Portuguese podcast #22: América Latina perde US$ 43 bi por ano; valor dá pra vacinar toda região

Casino Capitalism and a just transition: the Tax Justice Network podcast, February 2021

A tide-turning moment in the global struggle for tax justice

Making a killing from care

Submission to New York State Assembly: the case for Financial Transactions Taxes

Call for papers: Human rights and the 4 “Rs” of tax justice – Tax Justice Network annual conference
