I should do this too. Earn my money overseas, leave it there so I don't have to pay taxes on it, and jump through hoops to take out loans instead.

Our government is in debt further than any government in human history. Apple has become the most valuable company on the planet. And they don't want to pay their taxes. I've even heard we have historically low corporate taxes at 35% max. This is a sad situation.

And why go into debt when you have $145 billion in cash? Because it's cheaper to pay the interest on the debt than to pay the income tax on the cash if you repatriate it from overseas, that's why.

@reader50: the NOMINAL US corporate income tax rate is one of the HIGHEST in the world at 35%. However, there are deductions and such, so that the EFFECTIVE rate is much lower despite what corporate/conservative propagandists would like you to believe.

@lkrupp: it's also cheaper to pay interest on the debt than to pay the 3% dividend on the stock Apple will buy back. I'm sure Apple would be happy to leave that money overseas for as long as it takes until they get a better deal on the taxes on it.

As climacs correctly points out, Apple would never, ever pay the 35 percent rate even if it decided to "re"patriate that cash tomorrow. Nor is Apple "not paying their taxes," lkrupp: Apple pays about a 24-25 percent tax rate on its US earnings, and is following the law as it exists. If you want to blame someone for this problem, blame Congress for creating the loophole in the first place, and the whole Wall Street thing for making it a requirement that Apple MUST try to pay as little tax as legally possible as a "fiduciary responsibility."