Disney CEO Bob Iger thinks that companies are paying too much in taxes in the United States, and called the country’s tax system “ridiculously complex.”
“It doesn’t mean that a company shouldn’t pay taxes, but I think the structure is off … the tax base should be lowered, and the loopholes should be closed,” Iger told CNNMoney on Thursday.
Corporate taxes have been a heavy discussion topic throughout the U.S. presidential campaign, with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders leading the charge against big corporations — and Disney in particular — for “using loopholes to lower their tax bills,” according to CNN.
The top corporate tax rate is 35 percent.
Iger once again dismissed Sanders’ arguments about Disney underpaying and exploiting its employees, claiming that his company is a”positive for the United States and for the world.”
“He chose the wrong company to criticize,” Iger added. “I thought that it was indicative of a person who had never been in business and had not taken the time to really understand and appreciate what the meaning of business is to the country.”
Last month, Iger erupted in frustration against Sanders’ attacks on Disney’s low wages and Iger’s sky-high salary, asking in a private Facebook post obtained by TheWrap: “How many jobs have you created?”
“To Bernie Sanders: We created 11,000 new jobs at Disneyland in the past decade, and our company has created 18,000 in the US in the last five years. How many jobs have you created? What have you contributed to the US economy?”
His remarks came after Sanders launched into an attack on the Walt Disney Co. during an Anaheim Convention Center rally filled with 1,500 supporters.
“Anybody make a living wage working for Disney?” Sanders asked. “It’s an example of what we’re talking about when we talk about a rigged economy.”
Sanders went on to claim that “Disney pays its workers wages that are so low that many of them are forced to live in motels because they cannot afford a decent place to live.” He added, “People are asking is it right that at Disneyland you have a CEO making $46 million while they’re paying their workers starvation wages.”