Google Tax to prompt tech giants to kill Irish tax deals as government cracks down on avoidance tactics December 10, 2014 Rules, detailed by the government yesterday, aimed at clamping down on tax avoidance by tech giants including Google and Apple, could force US multinationals to start winding down “artificial arrangements” used to divert profits abroad. “What they’re trying to do is say ‘if you have a UK presence and if you are making UK sales, [...]
Britain needs Multinational Monday – not yet more arbitrary tax hikes December 8, 2014 BRITAIN has just celebrated “Small Business Saturday”. Perhaps yesterday should have been declared “Multinational Monday”. Multinationals are often the engine of poverty reduction in under-developed countries; and they promote technology transfer and transform lives all around the world. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine what life would be like without them. Of course, multinationals deserve [...]
Treasury will reveal tax structures targeted by Google Tax this week December 7, 2014 THE TREASURY will this week unveil details of how it will implement the so-called Google tax, targeting firms that shift profits to overseas tax havens, as well as a list of the “artificial arrangements” used by businesses to dodge UK tax. The draft 2015 Finance Act will be published on Wednesday along with guidance on [...]
Tory veteran David Davis attacks government tax avoidance crackdown as threat to the rule of law December 4, 2014 The government has become the biggest threat to the rule of law, according to veteran Tory backbencher and former minister David Davis. Speaking at a briefing organised by the Taxpayers' Alliance and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) he slammed the government's attempts to limit tax avoidance through laws such as the General Anti Avoidance [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Rich pickings for George Osborne – banks, mansions, multinationals, tobacco December 3, 2014 George Osborne delivered sweeping reforms to property tax yesterday, in an Autumn Statement that aimed to raise extra billions from banks, tobacco companies, international corporations and buyers of expensive properties. Attempting to knock the wind out of Ed Miliband’s Labour party, the chancellor sought to neutralise several of the opposition’s key policies, taking on the [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Google Tax set to raise £1bn from companies shifting profits overseas December 3, 2014 Starbucks, Apple and Google will pay higher UK taxes under a new tax that looks to stem the tide of multinational companies shifting profits to overseas tax havens. The Diverted Profits Tax, already dubbed the Google Tax, is set to raise over £1bn over the next five years by applying a 25 per cent tax [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Stamp duty, business rates, banking profits and tech firm taxes. How has industry responded? December 3, 2014 There were a number of surprises in George Osborne's final Autumn Statement before the general election, many of which are solidly aimed at middle class voters. Bankers taxes are being limited, multinational tech firms are going to have to pay more taxes and stamp duty slabs have been scrapped. The squeezed middle and chattering [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: George Osborne scraps stamp duty slabs December 3, 2014 George Osborne's Autumn Statement unveiled a raft of measures in an intensely political statement aimed at luring voters back from Ukip during next year's general election. His centrepiece? A complete overhaul of stamp duty which, he said, will create savings for 98 per cent of home buyers. To cheers from the Tory back benches, Osborne [...]
Amazon says it “received no special tax treatment” after EU begins Luxembourg tax arrangement investigation October 7, 2014 Amazon has said it “received no special tax treatment” in response to the European Commission opening an investigation into its tax affairs in Luxembourg. Brussels is examining the online retail giant's arrangements with the Luxembourg government claiming it amounted to illegal state aid in the latest crackdown on companies and countries believed to be negotiating [...]
Starbucks beware. OECD proposes rules aimed at corporate tax avoidance September 16, 2014 New international tax rules proposed yesterday could eliminate structures that have allowed companies such as Starbucks, Google and Amazon to lessen their tax bills. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced a series of measures that, if implemented by members, could stop companies from employing many commonly used practices to shift profits into [...]