US Uncut
Encyclopedia
US Uncut is a decentralized direct action group in the United States
established in February 2011 to combat corporate tax avoidance
and highlight cuts to social spending and public sector jobs. It draws its name, organizing structure, and tactics from UK Uncut
, a movement that began four months earlier in London, England.
The group's first action occurred simultaneously in 50 cities across the United States, mostly at Bank of America
branches. Since then, the group has expanded both its targets and its numbers. As of May 2011, over 100 cities have had Uncut sponsored actions.
stores, BP
stations, FedEx
stores, and Target
stores.
Bank of America, the original target, was chosen for its role in the financial crisis
and the fact that it paid no income taxes in 2009 or 2010.
Verizon made over $24 billion in 2010, yet received a tax benefit of $1.3 billion. The significant tax benefit it received was mostly due to redirecting profits through its British partner Vodafone
, which has been the frequent target of UK Uncut.
British Petroleum received a tax benefit of $9.9 billion for 2010 due to costs associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
established in February 2011 to combat corporate tax avoidance
Tax avoidance and tax evasion
Tax noncompliance describes a range of activities that are unfavorable to a state's tax system. These include tax avoidance, which refers to reducing taxes by legal means, and tax evasion which refers to the criminal non-payment of tax liabilities....
and highlight cuts to social spending and public sector jobs. It draws its name, organizing structure, and tactics from UK Uncut
UK Uncut
UK Uncut is a United Kingdom-based protest group established in October 2010 to protest against tax avoidance in the UK and to raise awareness about cuts to public services. Various sources have described the group as left-wing in its political orientation...
, a movement that began four months earlier in London, England.
The group's first action occurred simultaneously in 50 cities across the United States, mostly at Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
branches. Since then, the group has expanded both its targets and its numbers. As of May 2011, over 100 cities have had Uncut sponsored actions.
Targets
In addition to Bank of America, US Uncut has held protests at VerizonVerizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
stores, BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
stations, FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
stores, and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
stores.
Bank of America, the original target, was chosen for its role in the financial crisis
Late-2000s financial crisis
The late-2000s financial crisis is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s...
and the fact that it paid no income taxes in 2009 or 2010.
Verizon made over $24 billion in 2010, yet received a tax benefit of $1.3 billion. The significant tax benefit it received was mostly due to redirecting profits through its British partner Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
, which has been the frequent target of UK Uncut.
British Petroleum received a tax benefit of $9.9 billion for 2010 due to costs associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
.