John Oliver explains the huge problems with corporate taxes

Last night on Last Week Tonight, John Oliver dove straight into the major issues with the American tax system and its baffling legal loopholes.

We knew there were big problems with the way taxes are handled by the government in the United States, but perhaps it’s even more ridiculous than we thought…

Last night on Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver focused on corporate taxes for the bulk of the program. It’s known to many that large corporations do their best to get around the American tax system, often paying little (and sometimes ZERO) taxes despite making billions of dollars in profits. And maybe the worst part of it all is that it’s completely legal, with no changes to the system in sight.

To start with, Oliver plays a clip of Cardi B posted to her Instagram account, with the singer airing her thoughts on the tax system. Because the government takes 40% of her income, she claims, she wants to know what they’re doing with her money. She even sarcastically asks to see the receipts – and, of course, plenty of expletives are used to push her point.

So Oliver sets out to answer Cardi B’s question, and the answer is depressing as hell. Companies like Google can funnel their profits overseas to avoid having to pay any taxes at all, even with billions of dollars coming in. This tax trick even has its own funky nickname, which Oliver reveals to be the “Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich” – which, as Oliver points out, sounds more like a wild sex act than anything else.

You can watch the full segment in the YouTube video below.

Next: Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro spoof Meet the Parents

As always, you can catch more from Oliver every Sunday night. New episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver air Sundays at 11 PM EST on HBO. If you miss it, be sure to come back for the recap here at Last Night On!