EZCorp reported that departing Myer CFO Mark Ashby starts as its numbers man in June with a starting base salary of $US700,000.

Ashby, who resigned from Myer over the weekend - as did his boss Bernie Brookes - currently enjoys a base salary at the department store operator of $750,000.

Even taking the exchange rate into account, its hardly worth the hop to Austin, Texas.

Including share payments, Ashby took home more than $916,000 last year from Myer - or Meyer as it is called in EZCorp's SEC statement.

But there are a few other enticements to cross the Pacific.

EZCorp - headed by former Bank of Queensland boss, Stuart Grimshaw - are also offering a "target bonus" equal to his base salary, a "new hire" bonus of $US665,000 paid in shares or cash at the company's discretion.

There is also an annual grant of performance-based restricted shares equal to his base salary.

Some the performance hurdles are a bit steep - one component includes pushing the share price from its current level of $US10 up to $US80 - but it can't be any worse than Myer where Ashby and his colleagues have failed to get any sort of short-term bonus over the last four years.

The move to EZCorp's Austin headquarters comes with other perks.

This includes a temporary housing allowance of $US12,000 a month for the first year - so he won't have to pawn his Myer stock ahead of the big move - and a termination payment of one-year's salary if things don't work out.

EZCorp's board has also approved a $US10,000 a month housing allowance for its executive chairman, fellow Aussie Lachlan Given.

EZ approval

EZCorp has been splashing about a lot of stock grants to new hires like Ashby and Grimshaw and it obviously is running a little short on headroom in this department.

A new amendment was introduced last month to fix this. EZCorp can now issue up to 1 million of its common stock to an executive in any given year - double the previous limit.

And there is none of the humiliating bunfight associated with public shareholder meetings to approve the change.

The amendment was approved by the sole holder of EZCorp's voting stock, Aussie investor Phillip Cohen.

Ivan the taxable

Rio Tinto's potential suitor, the Ivan 'Aussie' Glasenberg-run Glencore, is obviously working on its tax credentials before another tilt at the miner.

The commodity trader's accounts, which reported a $US4.3 billion underlying profit last year, also showed than "an income tax expense of $US1,809 million was recognised during 2014 compared to an income tax expense of $US254 million in 2013".

About $US1.3 billion of this was due to taxes on an asset sale and currency effects on its deferred tax balances, but hey we're not quibbling.

Rio paid just over $US3 billion of tax on underlying earnings of $US9.3 billion last year.

The only other item of interest in Glencore's accounts was a mention on page 67 reporting that unremitted earnings of $US63.2 billion "have been retained by subsidiaries and associates for reinvestment. No provision is made for income taxes that would be payable upon the distribution of such earnings".

No estimate was offered on what effect that would have on its tax liabilities.

Mac factor lingers on

We can only assume the tough hide of former Southern Cross Media chairman Max Moore-Wilton has rubbed off on its investors.

How else to explain the fact that its shares barely budged at the news that its radio business now faces a suspension of its broadcast licence after the High Court ruled that presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian broke the law when they made their now infamous royal prank call?

Maybe they've just been a bit too serene after the recent departure of Moore-Wilton, and the exodus of controversial on-air talent like Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O.

Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au