Reports from Google, Microsoft have also been scrutinized for revenue seemly disproportionate to the number of employees in Ireland A recent financial filing from Sandisk in Ireland illustrates the sometimes controversial nature of the corporate tax regime in the country.While Sandisk has joined scores of other companies attracted to Ireland for its low corporate tax rate, the company appears to represent an extreme example of benefiting from the tax environment.In a financial statement filed in Ireland earlier this month, Sandisk Manufacturing, the Irish subsidiary of Sandisk Corp., reported four employees and revenue of $955 million between the period when the company first opened up in Ireland, April 2005, and the end of 2005. Sandisk Corp. had 1,083 employees at the end of 2005 and reported revenue for the year of $2.3 billion. Other U.S. technology companies with offices in Ireland, such as Google and Microsoft, have also had their Irish financial reports scrutinized for generating revenues that appear out of proportion to the number of employees in the country. Google and Microsoft each employ hundreds of workers in the country.“The fact that [Sandisk has] only four people and a billion dollars makes them stick out a bit more,” said John Gilsenan, an independent analyst who sometimes consults for IDC Ireland. In the Sandisk example, just four employees in Ireland out of 1,083 around the world appeared to generate nearly half of the company’s revenue.The tax regime benefits the Irish government but could become a sore point for other countries. “I certainly don’t think that there’s any impetus from the Irish government for this to change,” said Gilsenan. While the Irish government is likely pleased to earn the tax from companies like Sandisk, the governments where the companies are based might start looking for ways to ensure they can collect their fair share of taxes from the companies, he said. Ireland’s low corporate tax rate dates back to the 1950s and its current 12.5 percent rate was set in the 1990s. The tax rate, far lower than in most other countries, has attracted many companies to open operations in Ireland, spurring the current economic boom in the country.In April last year, Sandisk announced plans to transfer its Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters to Dublin and employ 50 people by the end of this year. In a statement announcing the move, it said it already had 12 people working in Dublin managing supply chain and sales support functions for Sandisk.A Sandisk spokesperson was not available to comment on its financial statement or Dublin operations. Technology Industry