Posted on 12/03/2012 6:46:42 AM PST by granada
Google and Amazon are coming under growing pressure to follow Starbucks’ lead and pay a fairer share of tax in Britain as the chancellor plans to clamp down on rich companies and individuals.
The multinationals will be among the targets of a £154million clampdown to be unveiled by George Osborne today aimed at raising another £5billion tax in the next three years.
They are also being accused by MPs of ‘immorally’ minimising their tax bills, while giving ‘unconvincing and, in some cases, evasive’ evidence to a Commons committee investigating their financial affairs.
Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Commons public accounts committee, said: ‘This is outrageous and an insult to British businesses and individuals who pay their fair share.’ The pressure was mounting after Starbucks caved in yesterday and said it would pay tax on its profits. Its 700 British shops have paid no corporation tax in three years, despite annual takings of almost £400million.
After facing a shoppers’ boycott, a Starbucks spokesman said: ‘We have listened to feedback from our customers and employees and understand that, to maintain and further build public trust, we need to do more. 'As part of this we are looking at our tax approach in the UK. We will release more details later in the week.’ But Jane Harvey, of action group UK Uncut, said: ‘The announcement is a blatant admission of guilt that they have intentionally avoided tax in the UK for years.
(Excerpt) Read more at metro.co.uk ...
I can’t wait for them to go after Bono. /sarc
Stupid liberal fools everywhere are cheering the government on to do this (raise taxes) online as if they are getting back at The Man themselves not realizing that the more government eats the more it wants and that it will never be satisfied until they squeeze as much out of the populace as they possibly can without anarchy breaking out. I never considered giving a liberal nerd a wedgie or calling a homosexual “gay” or “faggot” but since they seem be pushing this tax agenda and causing pain maybe now’s the time to grab em by the underwear and tug until their legs turn purple...lol
When the taxpayer asks, what is his "fair share" of taxes, the only answer is more, more, more, more.
If they’ve legally avoided these taxes, then get mad at the law, not the company.
Companies don’t pay taxes, their customers do. What a bunch of dumb butts.
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