With total earnings of approximately $74.5 billion for 2015, Google is truly a multinational corporate juggernaut. International sales constitute a substantial portion of Google’s overall revenue source. Presently, sales in the United Kingdom make up about a tenth of Google’s entire income. In recent years, a controversy has developed over Google’s supposed attempts to divert profits in an effort to avoid paying the typical corporate tax rate for U.K. sales. The standard corporate tax rate in the United Kingdom is 20 percent. By way of a host of creative strategies, Google has historically paid nothing close to this rate. Two recent developments — a settlement regarding Google’s back tax debt and a law passed by the British parliament — have helped create a measure of progress, but the matter remains far from fully resolved.
In the last three years, Google has managed to keep its effective tax rate on foreign (i.e. non-U.S.) profits at 6.6 percent. There appears to be some uncertainty over the exact rate paid by Google in the United Kingdom: some allege the rate is as low as 2.5 percent, although Matt Brittin, Google’s president in Europe, states that the rate is much higher.
Back Tax Deal
In January of 2015, a settlement was reached regarding Google’s past tax liability stretching back to 2005. Google agreed to a sum of $130 million (approximately £190 million). While many cite the deal as a clear triumph for the British government, many others see it as overly gentle on Google. Though the issue of profit shifting still lingers, this settlement brought at least some degree of satisfaction for the U.K.
Diverted Profits Tax
In its Finance Act of 2015, the British government included a provision called the Diverted Profits Tax — informally referred to as the Google Tax — which attempts to shut down the improper shifting of profits to offshore tax havens. In the past, Google has avoided paying the standard corporate tax rate on most of its U.K. profits due to its practice of shifting these profits to other venues, primarily Bermuda. The Diverted Profits Tax will attempt to halt this practice and implement a 25 percent tax rate on funds being shifted in this fashion.
There is uncertainty whether Google will comply with the law as Google contends that it already pays its fair share of taxes in the U.K. Only time will reveal precisely how the matter will be settled.
Image credit: Marcin Wichary
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