Multinational companies are known to many as one of the main engines of the world economy. Recently, however, more and more global companies are called to a fire in themselves because of their unbridled passion for tax optimization. So, today, Bloomberg published the results of its own investigation, according to which the Internet company Google in 2011, withdrew from the European tax of almost $ 10 billion, and the European economy has received less $ 2 billion in taxes due to the fact that part of the company's revenues corresponded to offshore representative who actually were open only to accumulate money. One of the largest offshore Google opened offices in Bermuda.
Lawyers say that the tax technique used Internet giant is called 'Double Irish' and 'Dutch Sandwich'. Through them, the company has reduced its overseas tax to 2.4%, the lowest of the five major U.S. IT companies, despite the fact that other companies also have foreign offices.
"It is significant that the effective tax rate is so low for Google - said in an interview to Bloomberg U.S. tax economist Martin Sullivan Financial Management. - We know that the company is working to bypass the foreign countries with a high rate of taxation. On most markets where company tax rate significantly above 20%. "
Recall that in the U.S. corporate income tax is 35%, whereas in the UK - 28%. Experts say that Google uses the tax strategy, which is also popular among other companies, including Facebook and Microsoft. The basis of this method are the advantages inherent in the laws of Ireland. Here you can legally transfer of profits of subsidiaries of foreign offices, and foreign offices are taxed at a preferential system, bypassing the 12.5% rate of income tax. This fact attracts many large companies to settle it in Ireland and from there to run your business.
The report says that the actions of Google in this respect is clearly not fit into the moral and ethical standards propounded by the company. However, from a legislative point of view, everything is clean. "Google and many other large companies in compliance with the laws move their money into the area with a zero tax rate, which allows them to avoid high taxes taken in Europe and the USA. Governments of different countries, this technique is realized more clearly and companies are becoming more and more the object of harsh criticism "- the report says.
A few days earlier the British Sunday Independent published a similar material, according to which the Internet giant poured substantial part of the proceeds to the Irish division, as in Ireland, one of the lowest corporate taxes. Similar charges were heard in the week and to the Facebook. The article says that the unit Google Ireland over the last seven years, said revenue at 47 billion euros, which is not possible without the accumulation of other regions - the Irish market is physically no such speed. In this case, Google is paying taxes in the amount of 0.14% of revenues, or less than 70 million euros for seven years, or 10 million euros per year on a turnover of 10 billion euros.
Analysts say that European tax authorities were to make noise even in 2007-08, when such a massive turnover and EBITDA there was meager 114 million euros.
"We are making a very significant contribution to the Irish economy, we are working here in 2500 people and is headquartered in Dublin. Recently the company has invested 75 million euros in the opening of the data center and 226.9 million euros in ransom building for the headquarters," - said in a Google.
British tax authorities recently accused microsoft that she sent the British company's revenue in the amount of 1.7 billion pounds in the division of Microsoft Luxemburg and Microsoft Ireland, where the money was hidden or taxed paltry tax. The publication reports that Microsoft has transferred all the money from the British sales of Windows 8 in Luxembourg and in terms of accounting Microsoft is now, as it were, and did not receive any proceeds from the sale of pound Windows 8 in the UK.
"Microsoft - it is a global company that carefully follow the laws of the countries where we operate," - the company said. "In the UK we always pay our taxes. Over the past three years, there has paid about 63 million pounds of taxes."
As with Google, Microsoft has a great staff of the Irish people in 1700 and in the same bases its headquarters, which unites data and finances of the region EMEA.
On Friday last week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development also has severely criticized the 'boundless greed' of multinational companies. The organization say they are not accused of tax evasion, but say the "immoral behavior" companies. "We have to admit that the behavior of multinational companies every year is getting worse," - said in an international organization.
Pascal St-Adams, director of tax practice, said that now almost all multinational companies declare 'a huge difference' between dohami from countries where they actually work, and countries where pay taxes.
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