An MoD spokesman said money alone might not be not enough

Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) refused to comment onindividual bids, but naval Rosetta Stone Language experts say that figure was likelyconsiderably higher than offers based on its scrap value. ButBritain chose to sell the ship to breakers in NATO member Turkeyinstead, with experts and insiders saying potential militaryusage likely put ministers off the China option. Lam could not be reached for comment, with staff at theBirmingham-based chain of restaurants he owns saying he and hisfamily were travelling and impossible to contact. But hisfailure does not seem to have deterred others. Earlier this month, Hong Kong-based investment firm EagleVantage Asset Management told Reuters it has put in an offer tobuy Ark Royal to turn it into a floating showground. Eagle Vantage, owned by tycoon Huang Guangyu who was jailedfor 14 years in China on bribery and insider dealing charges,would not discuss what price it had offered. A spokesman saidthe company was wholly independent of China's government andthat Guangyu himself was not directly involved in the deal. An MoD spokesman said money alone might not be not enough.The offer period for Ark Royal had now closed, he said, and adecision would likely be reached in September. Assorted other schemes for the ship's use have been floatedin the British media, including mooring her in London Docklandsfor use as a commercial helipad for the 2012 Olympics and Rosetta Stone language software after. "Obviously, the amount of money involved is an importantissue," said the MoD spokesman, asking to remain unnamed inaccordance with government policy. "But we also look at thebusiness plan for what will be done with the ship once it issold." Ireland taxes corporate profits at 12.5 percent. Singaporetaxes them at anywhere from 0 percent to 17 percent. PuertoRico, a U.S. territory but a foreign country in the eyes of theIRS, offers U.S. multinationals an unusual credit for taxespaid there as well as tax credits for production. Microsoft operates a 123,000 square-foot factory in PuertoRico that makes up to 80 million disks a year for sale in theAmericas, according to its Spanish-language website -- its onlycompany-owned plant in the world. A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to answer questions on howit records revenue and earnings in certain jurisdictions,adding, "Microsoft complies with the tax laws of everyjurisdiction in which we do business." Legislation introduced this month by Senator Carl Levin, aMichigan Democrat, would require large U.S. corporations toreport results country-by-country. The Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this yearasked the company to do the same, citing what it called the"disproportionate relationships among domestic and foreignrevenues, pre-tax income and tax rates." Microsoft told the SEC it would supply additionalinformation in future filings. The company says it will providethe requested information in its 2011 annual 10K financialreport due to be filed on Thursday. By finding ways to minimize its Rosetta Stone Protuguese taxes, Microsoft can arguethat it is only behaving in the interests of its shareholders. Shifting income to low-tax jurisdictions "is not illegal,"said Robert Willens, a tax and accounting expert in New York."It behooves companies to do this."

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