bean counter
イギリスにおいてスターバックスが脱税をしていたようです。税金の安い国で豆仕入れるほか、損失もごまかしていたようです。見出しのbean counterとは「会計係」を揶揄した表現で、とくに「（数字にしか目のいかない）会計係、事務家」を指します。ここでは、モラルを忘れ金稼ぎにか目がいかなくなった、世界でもっとも有名なコーヒー屋スターバックスコーヒーに引っ掛けて使われます。(Othello)
Good bean counters? Starbucks has paid no tax in UK since 2009
Probe shows coffee chain used clever accounting to minimise bills – despite UK sales of over £1bn
Starbucks has exploited accounting tricks to pay almost no UK tax on the millions of coffees, sandwiches and cakes bought by the British public over the past decade, it was revealed yesterday.
An investigation showed that the coffee company has paid only £8m in corporation tax to HMRC in the 14 years since it arrived on British high streets, despite generating sales of £3 billion.
Starbucks UK’s accounts shows that it has minimised its tax burden by officially recording losses of tens of millions of pounds year after year.
Yet in its briefings to stock market investors and analysts during the past 12 years, Seattle-based Starbucks has consistently stated that its UK unit is “profitable” and three years ago even promoted its UK head, Cliff Burrows, to run its vastly larger US operation.
