Big firms that avoid taxes are moochers, small companies say

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- When big companies offshore profits to dodge taxes, small business owners say they are left footing the bill -- and they're not happy about it.

Small business owners say they can't offshore profits and take advantage of these opportunities. The strategies require a worldwide presence and are either too complex or too costly.

But those business owners say that's not the only issue. They're bothered by the effect of depleting the government's revenue stream, which creates pressure to cut government spending that the nation's 27 million businesses rely on.

"This tax money goes to support the infrastructure that allows our businesses to be successful," said Joseph Rotella, owner of Spencer Organ, an instrument repair company in Waltham, Massachusetts.

In 2010, Spencer Organ paid $47,000 in taxes while Microsoft gave $4.4 billion. Still, they paid nearly the same effective federal tax rate of 25%.

"These big companies avoid paying their fair share," Rotella said, noting that highly profitable firms rarely pay the actual top federal rate of 35%.

To hotel owner Sue Edgington, whose Adventure Inn is located deep in the woods of northeast Minnesota, the issue of paying taxes is one of patriotism. Like most small business owners, she's fiscally conservative and doesn't gladly fork over more in taxes. However, she said that when companies avoiding paying them, it threatens funding to public colleges like the one she attended -- and protection of wildlife like the kind that draws tourists her way.

"It angers me," she said. "It's morally wrong. That money is being pulled out of our economy. There's a moral obligation to keep it here, because they live in this country and have been able to take advantage of that."

"When multinationals use accounting acrobatics, they not only shift the tax burden to small businesses. They also create pressure to cut spending on community development and education spending. If those workers lose their jobs to budget cuts, then Main Street loses its customers," Klinger said.

Don't we have enough Romney bashing threads already?

Hmm? Romney didn't write the tax code.

These big corps are Apple, Google, General Motors, and other liberal organizations.

Do not forget GE who pays NO tax.

I have't forgotten. General Motors for instance made $7 billion in profits and pays $0.00 in federal income tax because of the Obama administration.

So this is why the USA resorts to printing money, borrowing from China, cutting benefits to the poor and cutting services, along with being unable to fund union dues...

We don't have a SPENDING PROBLEM, we have a TAXING problem

We also have a SPENDING problem.
To many people on entitlement programs.

Hmm? Romney didn't write the tax code.

These big corps are Apple, Google, General Motors, and other liberal organizations.

nothing that can't be solved if these US companies pay their taxes

nothing that can't be solved if these US companies pay their taxes