If you’re not familiar with the laid-off workers in your life, you might not know about the WFM (Worldwide Financial Management) layoffs they caused.

WFM, the firm that was the focus of the news, was a big player in the financial industry for more than a decade. Its revenues and profits increased by 40 percent, and its stock price rose by more than a third just before the layoffs, showing a stock price surge that helped a lot of companies in the industry to remain profitable.

But the WFM layoffs have had some negative effects on the company as a whole, as many employees lost their jobs. That’s not to say it’s caused the company to suffer big losses. But it has reduced a lot of revenue (which is the only thing that matters as far as the company is concerned in this economy). The company’s stock value has dropped by almost half (see chart above), as its future cash flow has shrunk by about 20 percent.

The company was also hit with a massive $2 billion fine by federal authorities for not complying with its anti-trust laws. It is also facing another $500 million fine from the SEC for allegedly misleading investors in regards to the company’s financials. Those are only the current issues they’re facing.

In its latest Form 10-Q filing, Microsoft has asked for a 3.375 percent tax rate. It has also asked for a 4.5 percent tax rate on repatriation of earnings, $3B of stock buybacks and stock repurchases in the last three years. Microsoft said that its current tax rates for repatriation and stock buybacks are too high, and it should be lowering its tax rate.

The company’s current corporate tax rate, which is based on how it determines the taxable value of its earnings, says that it should be 3.375 percent. That is higher than other companies, and this is a new rate. Microsoft has been cutting its corporate tax rate for the past 10 years.

Well, that’s nice. But as of today, Microsoft is still only paying 3.375 percent. Microsoft said it’s paying a lower rate because the company says it has “no alternative tax arrangement that would not have the same tax impact.” This would mean that if you sell your stock, you don’t have to pay taxes on the gain as it would be taxed by the government on the company’s earnings.

Thats right, if you have stock, you don’t have to pay taxes on the gain.

And in order to make sure you pay tax on the gains, Microsoft says it will be instituting a new corporate tax rate of 9 percent. The company is still paying less than that rate but this is a big improvement. You cant get a tax break if you have the same tax rate as your competition. As for the new tax rate, Microsoft says it has not decided yet how to implement the change. Thats not too shabby.

If you are looking for a way to reduce your tax burden, you can always look at options such as an EITC (earned income tax credit), a 529 Savings Plan, or even the 401k. The IRS also offers a number of tax-deferred savings plans that you can get to work with your tax plan. But these are for people who already have an IRS tax code, not the ones who have an I.R.S. code.