Fremont: Countries over the world have been tightening the noose around businesses and working individuals alike, so as to get the taxes on time. Though the individuals are being caught for non-payment of taxes, there are several companies--profit making units and many of the Fortune 500 lists--who have managed to escape the tax lasso. This brings us to the point that when the individuals are paying the tax on their earnings, why can't companies pay a fair share on their successes? Here we bring five famous companies, who have been paying almost no taxes over the past few years (2008-10).

Pepco Holdings

One of the largest energy delivery companies in the mid-Atlantic region, Pepco's business includes Pepco, Delmarva Power, Atlantic City Electric. It provides retail energy savings and renewable services through Pepco Energy Services. Pepco Holdings was placed at 283^rd on the Fortune 500 in 2006; but by 2010, the company paid only 10 percent of the taxes that it had paid in the previous years (a significantly steep fall from $104 million to $11 million). The company paid close to nothing over the periods 2008 to 2010, a negative 57.6 percent, while the profits during this period were $882 million. Pepco had the lowest effective tax rate; while the electric sector along with utilities, and gas received $21.2 billion, 13.8 percent of the U.S. tax subsidies.