Corperate fines are the same as charitable donations

[kingarthur65]

@JayJay

Special note: Even the article linked in the OP points this out.

Corporations can’t write off fines. But they can write off settlements as a cost of doing business.

Another reason why corporations most often “settle” these claims, usually with an attached statement saying “without admitting wrongdoing”.

The article was also pointing out that these actually weren’t settlements…they were fines that the DoJ decided to classify as settlements.

I would think that both the DOJ and the company paying the “fine” negotiate the wording of the settlement and the tax implications are taken into account. This doesn’t seem to be a loophole that corporations have found and the DOJ is unaware of it.