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Article

3 Dec 2012

Author:
Rajeev Syal & Patrick Wintour, Guardian [UK]

MPs attack Amazon, Google and Starbucks over tax avoidance [UK]

Amazon, Google and Starbucks have been accused of an "immoral" use of secretive jurisdictions, royalties and complex company structures to avoid paying tax on British profits by a committee of MPs. A hard-hitting report…by the Commons public accounts committee…also criticises HM Revenue & Customs for being "way too lenient" in negotiations with corporations…It calls on the government to draw up laws to close loopholes and name and shame companies that fail to pay their fair share…Executives from the multinationals who appeared before the committee last month were singled out for criticism. Responses to questions by Andrew Cecil, Amazon's director of public policy, were "evasive", "unprepared" and lacking credibility…Troy Alstead, Starbucks' global chief financial officer, claimed that the firm has lost money in the 15 years it has been operating in the UK except in 2006…Alstead's claim was "difficult to believe"…

Part of the following timelines

UK: Parliamentary report accuses Amazon, Google & Starbucks of "immoral" use of secretive jurisdictions, royalties & complex company structures to avoid tax

UK corporate tax avoidance - 2012-2013