U2 singer Bono and lead guitarist The Edge are pushing back at critics who say they shouldn’t find ways to legally lower their tax obligations to Ireland.
The famous duo told Sky News prior to kicking off a U2 tour in Vancouver that there is no reason why philanthropists need to be “stupid in business.”
“We pay a fortune in tax, just so people know. We pay a fortune in tax and we’re happy to pay a fortune in tax — people should. Because you’re good at philanthropy, I think, and because I’m an activist, people think you should be stupid in business. I don’t run with that,” said Bono, The Telegraph reported Friday.
The newspaper reported that the band’s combined net worth is roughly $680 million.
“So much of our business is outside of Ireland, it’s ridiculous to make a big deal about the fact that we operate outside of Ireland. Everything we do is outside of Ireland,” The Edge said, The Telegraph reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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