Margaret Hodge says "Google United Kingdom boss was completely unconvincing on tax"

Margaret Hodge said she thought that Google United Kingdom boss Matt Brittin turnout of Deputies was "completely unconvincing", and expresses dissatisfaction "insolence" of transnational corporations avoiding paying their "fair share of taxes in the United Kingdom.

Influential parliamentary Committee called on the HM Revenue & Customs to "investigate" Google, to find that the Internet giant uses "very far-fetched" tax agreements with the sole purpose of avoiding tax on corporations billions of pounds of revenue in the United Kingdom.

Category: Hi-Tech Viewing 3258 | Added in June 25, 2013

6 Responses

1. Gerardo Mongelli Says:
   June 25, 2013

   Google is only doing the same things Margarets labour party is doing... All perfectly legal contrived mechanisms to avoid paying tax. 

   As a first step perhaps Labour should pay back the moral tax it owes?

2. Borja Delgado Says:
   June 25, 2013

   If merely adhering to the rules is no longer sufficient, can we revisit the expenses scandal please?

   To be clear, I am not accusing MPs of having broken any of the rules.

   I am questioning the morality of their actions.

   I suggest we broaden the investigation to also include any potential conflicts of interest.

   Again, I'm not interested in hearing that it's within the RULES to have a political role while also having a directorship.

   I want to examine the MORALITY.

   You want to open this can of worms Mrs. Hodge?

   Really?

3. David Alvarez Says:
   June 25, 2013

   Stop dithering, tinkering, negotiation - and PROSECUTE!

   If the government thinks they are breaking the law THEY should prosecute; if the government thinks they are cleverly getting around the law THEY should change the law. 

   All this talking, dithering and tinkering is costing money - and getting absolutely freakin nowhere.

   Its the governments that decides the rules, it is their ball, their field of play and their referee - either blow the whistle or stop the sound bites and the rhetoric!

   DO something you USELESS bunch of expensive time wasters.

4. Rafael Ramirez Says:
   June 25, 2013

   "Mood of anger in the country"? Perhaps if the laws were changed to oblige companies to pay their tax dues we wouldn't feel a need for anger. When the redoubtable Mrs Hodge makes this statement, for all that I respect her, I just want to kick her butt. You give the companies like Google any loophole at all and they'll exploit it. It's called "Business", Mrs Hodge.

   As Google notably pointed out - they don't make the tax laws, the idiots of politicians do and let's be honest, why would anyone in their right mind feel morally obliged to pay more tax, simply so that these fools can squander it.

   Ten billion pounds of our taxes are given away in 'foreign aid', not to feed the poor, who are still around after decades of 'hand outs', but to line the pockets of corrupt politicians in the third world and buy them palaces and munitions to supress their peoples. 

    How much was squandered on promoting 'gay marriage'?

   None of our politicians or senior civil servants are held to account over the amount of 'our money' they waste - it's a disgrace!

   A flat rate of tax for everyone is the simple solution, but that would prevent politicians and senior public sector employees from 'siphoning off' huge amounts of un-taxed income via 'loop holes' that they have created!

5. Sam Lown Says:
   June 25, 2013

   While MPs continue to avoid tax at all costs and make excessive demands on the expenses system they will never hold any to account over tax avoidance.

   The whole tax system within the UK needs to be brought into the 21sy century. Start be opening up the tax affairs of every individual and company to any who wish to look.

   Then re-write the tax book in plain simple English which everyone can read and understand .IE if you work or trade within UK borders either physically or through electronic means every transaction is liable for tax once a threshold has been reached.

   Corporation tax shall be 25% across the board regardless of size of business or nationality of company

   these few suggestions just a starting point but you get my meaning.

6. Borja Delgado Says:
   June 25, 2013

   No, you vainglorious fool; Google must act according to the law. It does, so they don't need to do anything.

   The law is written as it is for a purpose, not in order for some self-preening hypocrite to decide arbitrarily 'what is fair'. 

   But, come on Hodge; publish the tax avoidance schemes used by your own family companies.  After all, I'm sure you want to be open and honest about it all don't you.