Demo: Bank of America Needs to Pay Taxes!

Demonstrators in front of a branch of Bank America in San Mateo said they want BofA to pay the United States back for the taxes it avoided paying through tax loopholes and creative accounting. They want that money to be used for education, health care, veterans benefits, child care, libraries, and other human services that are being cut from federal and state budgets.


"All we're asking is for Bank of America and other multi-billion dollar corporations to simply pay their fair share of taxes like you and I do," said one demonstrator in what was likely the first rally of a big protest weekend across the U.S.

Bank of America made billions in profit and had a $0 income tax bill. While everyday people work multiple jobs and contribute to the nation through taxes on their hard earned money, BofA is able to shelter income through tax loopholes, said demonstrators.

Protesters today said Bank of America made tens of billions in pure profit last year and got more than 3 billion dollars back from the government after taxes. How do they do it? “B of A stashes its money in offshore accounts. That is money that rightly belongs to the American people,”
 explained a member of Take Back Democracy of San Mateo.

Demonstrators came from up and down the San Francisco Peninsula and included members of San Mateo Peace Action, the Coffee Party, Common Cause and the Raging Grannies. The protest was organized by Take Back Democracy of San Mateo.