UK

UK GOVERNMENT UPSET OVER GOOGLE, STARBUCKS AND AMAZON NOT PAYING MORE IN

 

How dare you deprive of us your wealth.

Nothing more assploding hypocritical than politicians talking about immorality and tax dodging in the same breath. The redistribution of wealth through government is the stealing of private wealth, I have no problem whatsoever with business or individuals taking advantage of legal mechanisms in order to stave off immoral wealth redistribution by temporary politicians.

NOTE: If in fact these businesses or private individuals were the beneficiaries of public assistance, through the actions of government officials or benefits, then that is another issue altogether. Having one’s face in the public trough then stashing funds elsewhere to avoid paying taxes is immoral, all the way around.

The ‘immoral’ tax avoiders: Amazon, Starbucks and Google lashed by MPs over elaborate schemes that deprive Britain of millions

  • ‘It seems to us that you are exporting your profits to minimise your tax’, says committee chairman Margaret Hodge when questioning Starbucks chief
  • Amazon and Google also being questioned over decision to base European operations in countries that have lower tax rates such as Luxembourg
  • Starbucks paid no corporation tax in the past three years, Amazon paid no corporation tax last year and Google is accused of paying just £6m in tax

By PETER CAMPBELL

PUBLISHED: 16:57 GMT, 12 November 2012 | UPDATED: 00:20 GMT, 13 November 2012

The ‘immoral’ tricks used by corporate giants to avoid UK tax were laid bare yesterday.
Executives from Google, Starbucks and Amazon revealed how they base operations offshore and route profits to tax havens.

They had been summoned by MPs to explain why they contribute little or nothing to the Treasury’s coffers. In a three-hour inquisition:

  • Google admitted funnelling profits to a company in the tax haven of Bermuda;
  • Starbucks said it had a deal with the Dutch government to minimise its tax bill and ‘buys’ coffee through Switzerland even though the beans never touch Swiss soil;
  • Amazon admitted basing its European operations in Luxembourg because of the low tax there;
  • The internet giant also claimed not to know its UK turnover.

Read more:

2 Responses

  1. Do British MPs pay income taxes on their salaries? If not they should be made to pay taxes.

  2. Throwing a hissy fit over corporations legally protecting their profits only impresses the voters but that’s about it.

Leave a Reply to Gerald Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.