It is currently estimated there are 30, 000 users of what are known as employment intermediary schemes and partnership loss schemes - where partnerships that make a loss can shelter their other income from tax.
The Senate inquisitors aren't accusing the tech companies of doing anything illegal but of cleverly exploiting loopholes in U.S. tax laws that allow them to shelterincome overseas.
No matter how much you wiped out your income with exotic tax perks like intangible drilling costs and other tax-shelter sounding items, you paid a smaller alternative tax rate on virtually everything with no deductions.
Most of these rationales for low taxes on people like Mitt Romney are wrong or overstated, and they miss a key point: taxing capital gains at much lower rates than other income creates a ginormous loophole that leads to a tremendous amount of inefficient taxshelter activity.