Dies the Comparable Profits Method (CPM) work given today’s business environment?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Effectiveness of the Comparable Profits Method (CPM) in Today’s Business Environment
Thesis Statement: The Comparable Profits Method (CPM) is still a valuable tool for determining transfer pricing in today’s business environment, as it provides a fair and objective way to assess the profitability of controlled transactions.
Introduction: Transfer pricing refers to the pricing of goods, services, or intangible assets traded between entities of the same multinational enterprise (MNE) located in different jurisdictions. It is an essential aspect of international taxation, as it directly affects the allocation of taxable profits among countries. The Comparable Profits Method (CPM) is one of the methods used to determine transfer prices, and this essay will discuss its effectiveness in today’s business environment.
Body:
Fair and Objective Assessment:
The CPM compares the profitability of a controlled transaction to that of independent comparable transactions. This provides a fair and objective assessment of the arm’s length nature of the pricing.
In today’s business environment, where transparency and fairness are highly valued, the CPM aligns with these principles by ensuring that profits are allocated in a manner consistent with market forces.
Flexibility and Adaptability:
The CPM allows for flexibility in selecting comparable transactions, taking into account various factors such as product characteristics, functions performed, risks assumed, and market conditions.
In today’s dynamic business environment, characterized by rapidly changing markets and technological advancements, the ability to adapt and select relevant comparables is crucial. The CPM provides this flexibility.
Reliance on Market Data:
The CPM relies on market data derived from independent companies engaged in similar transactions. This ensures that pricing is based on real-world market conditions.
In today’s globalized economy, with increased connectivity and availability of market data, the CPM can effectively leverage this information to determine fair transfer prices.
Consistency with International Standards:
The CPM is recognized and endorsed by international tax authorities and organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
In today’s business environment, where multinational enterprises operate across borders, having a method that aligns with international standards ensures consistency and reduces the risk of disputes between tax jurisdictions.
Mitigation of Tax Avoidance:
The CPM helps prevent profit shifting and tax avoidance by ensuring that transfer prices are determined based on comparable market conditions.
In today’s business environment, where tax avoidance is a significant concern for governments worldwide, the CPM serves as a tool to mitigate such practices and promote a fair distribution of taxable profits.
Conclusion: Despite the changing business environment, the Comparable Profits Method (CPM) remains an effective tool for determining transfer prices. Its fair and objective assessment, flexibility, reliance on market data, consistency with international standards, and ability to mitigate tax avoidance make it a valuable method in today’s globalized economy. As multinational enterprises continue to operate across borders, the CPM plays a vital role in ensuring fair allocation of taxable profits among jurisdictions.
