Exxon's just a poor working-class stiff like the rest of us....

Parsing Exxon's tax bill

Exxon Mobil wants to tell you something: It pays taxes. A lot of them.

In the first months of this year, Exxon (XOM, Fortune 500) says it paid $3.1 billion in taxes in the United States -- more than even the $2.6 billion in profit it made selling oil and gas.

To get to that number, the company includes the federal and state gasoline taxes that the company collects from drivers and passes on to government coffers. It also includes payroll taxes the company pays on behalf of its employees.

The company is highlighting its overall tax contributions to make a point: It wants Americans to see just how much the company and its activities add to the overall tax rolls.

"We are one of the largest taxpayers in the United States," said Alan Jeffers, an Exxon spokesman.

For Exxon -- and the oil industry overall -- the message is urgent.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/04/news/companies/exxon_oil_taxes/index.htm?iid=RNM

between paying taxes and collecting them.

don't pay taxes?