Amazon to open European HQ in Dublin

seamus

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/01/13/story184533.html

I would have put it in Business, but it'll get more exposure here. Hopefully we might finally get a proper Amazon.ie. Now, who's going to apply?

therecklessone

I'll settle for the current UK site offering free shipping to Ireland thank you.

Basta*ds.

Sleepy

No sign of the positions on the Amazon.co.uk vacancies section as yet anyway...

skywalker_208

we might get an amazon.ie but using the others (.co.uk)will be cheaper like every other company so theres no point..

simu

Even if they just put the prices in euros on the site for people who are in Ireland, I'd be more inclined to buy stuff from them.

Zombienosh

oo gimee a job ya miserable cabbages

Evilution

I really can't understand why so many companies choose to set up their 'european headquarters' here. I mean we've got $hitty infrastructure, inflation, higher costs than most of europe etc.
That said, its still good that they do. Can you imagine Ireland without all these foreign companies?

Sleepy

Evilution wrote:

I really can't understand why so many companies choose to set up their 'european headquarters' here. I mean we've got $hitty infrastructure, inflation, higher costs than most of europe etc.
That said, its still good that they do. Can you imagine Ireland without all these foreign companies?

Yeah, I remember the 80's!

Trojan

Evilution wrote:

I really can't understand why so many companies choose to set up their 'european headquarters' here. I mean we've got $hitty infrastructure, inflation, higher costs than most of europe etc.
That said, its still good that they do. Can you imagine Ireland without all these foreign companies?

Corporate tax (or lack thereof) for 1st 10 years iirc.

Evilution

Sleepy wrote:

Yeah, I remember the 80's!

As tommy tiernan once said - "It was publicly acceptable not to have a job. You couldn't find work, if you looked for it"

Evilution

Trojan wrote:

Corporate tax (or lack thereof) for 1st 10 years iirc.

Kinda $hit that we have to buy them off with this to make 'em come over, though.

Peteee

Hopefully now we can get free shipping

Trojan

Evilution wrote:

Kinda $hit that we have to buy them off with this to make 'em come over, though.

I'd agree with you, only I work for a US tech company in Dublin

eth0_

Peteee wrote:

Hopefully now we can get free shipping

My thoughts exactly!

Nuttzz

Evilution wrote:

Kinda $hit that we have to buy them off with this to make 'em come over, though.

not really corporation tax would only be a small chunk of their tax bill, theres VAT, PRSI rates etc that they dont get any special treatment for

BuffyBot

Hopefully now we can get free shipping

I don't see how. It's only an IT/Network ops centre, not a distribution centre. I'd imagine that will stay firmly located in the UK. Opening an office here won't guarantee a amazon.ie at all.

Wertz

Evilution wrote:

I really can't understand why so many companies choose to set up their 'european headquarters' here. I mean we've got $hitty infrastructure, inflation, higher costs than most of europe etc.
That said, its still good that they do. Can you imagine Ireland without all these foreign companies?

As well as the corporate tax breaks mentioned we are also the only country in the € zone that has english as a first language. This is of vital importance to most net firms who tend to be based in the 'States. We also have a high number of graduates in the technology sector...

Peteee

Wertz wrote:

As well as the corporate tax breaks mentioned we are also the only country in the € zone that has english as a first language. This is of vital importance to most net firms who tend to be based in the 'States. We also have a high number of graduates in the technology sector...

yeah, 'high number'. Us 40 people in comp sys here in limerick will tell you otherwise (a few years ago there was 300+ doing it, 1st year has only 29 people in it now)

That 'high number of tech graduates' is gonna dry up REAL soon.

Wertz

Peteee wrote:

yeah, 'high number'. Us 40 people in comp sys here in limerick will tell you otherwise (a few years ago there was 300+ doing it, 1st year has only 29 people in it now)

That 'high number of tech graduates' is gonna dry up REAL soon.

lol fair point

Make hay while the sun shines eh?

Evilution

Nuttzz wrote:

not really corporation tax would only be a small chunk of their tax bill, theres VAT, PRSI rates etc that they dont get any special treatment for

Yeah, but every little helps. If we removed that corporation tax break, I think you'd see a decline in the amount of companies setting up here. Especially with the cost of everything going up. This would be more applicable to manufacturing plants though, that have to ship their crap out of the country.
I, personally, just don't feel like Ireland is really 'that' competitive. LIDL and Aldi and places like that have started up over here but I still haven't seen any price drops in places like Supervalu, tesco etc.

Trojan

Peteee wrote:

yeah, 'high number'. Us 40 people in comp sys here in limerick will tell you otherwise (a few years ago there was 300+ doing it, 1st year has only 29 people in it now)

That 'high number of tech graduates' is gonna dry up REAL soon.

Sweeet. Maybe my degree is worth something on the open market then!

dahamsta

simu wrote:

Even if they just put the prices in euros on the site for people who are in Ireland, I'd be more inclined to buy stuff from them.

Set your preferred currency here. (Note the small print.)

sceptre

Trojan wrote:

Corporate tax (or lack thereof) for 1st 10 years iirc.

That's been done away with since the 1980 budget:) (the EEC as was insisted on it) This year is the last year even those in the special categories will get the benefit. We replaced it with a lower corpo tax rate on manufactured goods for export that year (also due to run out now that I think about it).

Lower regular corporation tax rates though.

japanpaul

Ireland also has a young population, a good education system where usually the brightest people get to go to the "best universities", not the richest people. We also are the only English speaking country in the Euro zone.
At the end of last year, Bush gave all American companies a once off chance to bring back any foreign capital at low or zero tax, but it hasn't seemed to affect Ireland yet.
I am living in Japan at the moment(coming back soon) and Irish people should be proud of our education system and dynamic work force. I think it's the main reason we are still competitve, successful. It costs over E30,000 to send a kid to a good university over here and that's only for one year.
Just have to sort out the road and rail infrastucture now.

lomb

ireland is grossly uncompetitive particularly the uk next to the uk which is also english speaking has unemployment in certain areas and companies dont have to set up in the south......