I never said corporate income tax was not meant to be collected, nor did I say it wasn't collected. I said corporations didn't "pay much" in income tax. I grant that is rather subjective, but it is still non-zero.
You said that it was by design. I'm saying otherwise :-)
I challenge you to find a corporation that is paying ZERO in taxes, which is the phrase the article used.
"Despite reporting net income of $30 billion over the four-year period 2009 to 2012, Apple Operations International paid no corporate income taxes to any national government during that period,"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324787004578495250424727708.html
In 2011, another Ireland-based Apple unit, Apple Sales International, which sells iPhones, iPads MacBooks and other products to overseas distributors, recorded $22 billion in pretax earnings but paid just $10 million in taxes, investigators found. That works out to a rate of about .05%.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324787004578495250424727708.html
"In April, Amazon was revealed to be routing its UK sales through its European headquarters in low-tax Luxembourg, meaning that last year its UK corporation tax bill was nil, despite revenue of £3bn from the sale of books, DVDs and other goods."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/good-bean-counters-starbucks-has-paid-no-tax-in-uk-since-2009-8212579.html
"Most of Google’s revenues in Europe are booked in Dublin, then shifted via royalty payments to a Dutch subsidiary, before whatever is left is recognised as profits by a subsidiary in Bermuda, which levies no income tax."
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21568432-starbuckss-tax-troubles-are-sign-things-come-multinationals-wake-up-and-smell
Regardless of localized sweetheart deals or incentive abatements or whatever, they are still paying fees, sales or VAT tax, and many more. Hence my retort that claiming a corporation pays "zero in taxes" is a gross distortion. Whether or not they should be paying more, or be allowed to structure in such a way to avoid paying certain taxes, is a different discussion.
Shrug. So close to zero as to be zero for all intents and purposes.
Individuals pay 'fees, sales or VAT tax and many more' as well and so what? This is not a valid reason to not pay income taxes.
With regard to these...companies don't pay VAT - they collect it from their customers and for what they do pay they have the right to claim it back from the government. Sales tax in the US on what they buy for themselves, yes. Not sure what fees you're talking about.
End result is that individuals are carrying the tax burden at all levels, not corporations.