Google slammed after paying just £36.4million in tax on £1billion UK sales
The internet giant claimed it made a pre-tax profit of just £149million despite its huge revenues
GOOGLE sparked outrage yesterday when it emerged it paid just £36.4million in corporation tax on £1.03billion sales in a year.
The Government was accused of unfairly letting internet giants “off the hook” while small firms are crippled by soaring rates.
The US tech company claimed it made a pre-tax profit of just £149million in the 12 months to June 2016, despite its huge revenues.
Its previous tax bill was for £46.2million in the 18-month period from January 2014 to July 2015.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Baroness Kramer said yesterday: “It is appalling that Google is still getting away with paying back such a paltry amount in taxes on its total revenue.
“The Government seems to be letting big online businesses off the hook as small firms, the heart of our high streets, get whacked by ever- rising business rates.
“It’s utterly unfair.
“The Government is struggling with the Brexit squeeze already.
“If it wants to stop cutting vital services it needs to start picking up what is owed to the British people.
“Our worst fear is the Tories will use Brexit to turn the UK into a tax haven off Europe’s north shores.
“There is no sign that this isn’t where we’re headed.”
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Google was blasted last year over a deal to pay £130million in back taxes for a ten-year period.
US firm Apple was also ordered by the European Commission to pay £11billion in owed taxes, following a probe into its tax arrangements in Ireland.
Google said last night of its latest tax bill: “As an international business, we pay the majority of our taxes in our home country, as well as all those due in the UK.”