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Apple, and many other companies, are not going to "just pay" billions in taxes.

And by a similar token, they're also not "just going to be able" to repatriate that money tax-free.

No one's going to "just pay" any amount of taxes, they have to be forced. No matter what else you think about taxes, that's how they work. Paying taxes is always painful; not paying is made to be more painful, at least for some of us.

"...at least for some of us"

it's made to be painful for most every single one of us who aren't mega-companies with an army of lawyers and accountants. This is one reason I go almost blind rolling my eyes when a CEO of such a company gets all preachy about right and wrong, and what's in the public's interest, etc.

It would be foolish to pay the taxes when they can lobby the public and the government for years until they get their way.

It's foolish to tax capital investment in the U.S. It's like punishing people for working.

they don't owe more taxes (profits already taxed in countries where they were earned) unless they choose to repatriate.

Doubt it. The taxes aren't owed to the US.