Foreign firms can also outbid their US counterparts in acquiring new high-tech firms in other countries. And when a foreign firm acquires a US company, it pays US tax on the profits earned in the US but not on the profits earned by that firm’s other foreign subsidiaries, thus lowering its total tax bill.
美国的现行税收制度对美国经济造成了多重不利影响。美国企业若要将利润汇回国内，就要缴纳额外税收，这增加了资本成本，从而制约了它们在国际市场上的竞争力。外国企业也因此能够在他国高科技公司收购竞标中压倒美国公司。而若外国企业收购美国公司，它必须缴纳在美国所赚利润的税，但不必缴纳该公司其他外国分支所赚利润的水，从而降低了总税负。