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Google doesn't need to "transfer the money" elsewhere. They conduct sales from an EU company within an EU country to another EU country. That is precisely the

Google doesn't need to "transfer the money" elsewhere. They conduct sales from an EU company within an EU country to another EU country. That is precisely the point of EU. I am therefore astonished that it mostly seems to be the same persons and political parties that both a) want Britain to stay in EU b) castigate Google for acting precisely in the way the EU legislation has been intended to work. Personally, I engage in tax avoidance schemes e.g. by purchasing wine and spirits and even using restaurant services in a lower-tax regime, which is across a patch of sea two hours away (within EU). I have also avoided taxes by ceasing to use haircut/barber services in my country where there's VAT and service prices generally are very high.

johnchristopher 11y ago
> Google doesn't need to "transfer the money" elsewhere. They conduct sales from an EU company within an EU country to another EU country. Right: http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-google-accounts-show-11-billion-euros-moved-via-low-tax-dutch-sandwich-in-2014-2016-2?r=US&IR=T http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-google-accounts-show-11-bill... > That is precisely the point of EU. I am therefore astonished that it mostly seems to be the same persons and political parties that both > a) want Britain to stay in EU > b) castigate Google for acting precisely in the way the EU legislation has been intended to work. Oh, come on... you know that there are many forces working in opposite directions in the EU parliament and commission. Lobbies are pushing for legislation that are directly against the EU's interest. That and the whole political facade and short term benefits. > Personally, I engage in tax avoidance schemes e.g. by purchasing wine and spirits and even using restaurant services in a lower-tax regime, which is across a patch of sea two hours away (within EU). I have also avoided taxes by ceasing to use haircut/barber services in my country where there's VAT and service prices generally are very high. I'd rather my country's fiscal brigade or whatever goes after bigger fishes than you :). Tax avoidance != tax fraud (or fiscal fraud)
- ptaipale 11y ago
  > Oh, come on... you know that there are many forces working in opposite directions in the EU parliament and commission. Of course there are. What I'm saying is that it particularly seems to be parties of the political left, for instance Labour in the UK, who are both pro-EU and against the very essence of EU with their nationalist and protectionist economic rhetoric. The Conservatives, on the other hand, are more skeptical of EU in general but more for free trade. It's similar in other countries. > Tax avoidance != tax fraud (or fiscal fraud) Quite. I don't think anyone has caught Google or other big companies of large-scale tax fraud. There are of course always some small differences of opinion on how some status should be interpreted, but by and large the way the corporations work has been found to be in compliance with law. Large figures of "tax gap" are published but based on fantasy.

johnchristopher 11y ago

> Google doesn't need to "transfer the money" elsewhere. They conduct sales from an EU company within an EU country to another EU country. Right: http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-google-accounts-show-11-billion-euros-moved-via-low-tax-dutch-sandwich-in-2014-2016-2?r=US&IR=T http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-google-accounts-show-11-bill... > That is precisely the point of EU. I am therefore astonished that it mostly seems to be the same persons and political parties that both > a) want Britain to stay in EU > b) castigate Google for acting precisely in the way the EU legislation has been intended to work. Oh, come on... you know that there are many forces working in opposite directions in the EU parliament and commission. Lobbies are pushing for legislation that are directly against the EU's interest. That and the whole political facade and short term benefits. > Personally, I engage in tax avoidance schemes e.g. by purchasing wine and spirits and even using restaurant services in a lower-tax regime, which is across a patch of sea two hours away (within EU). I have also avoided taxes by ceasing to use haircut/barber services in my country where there's VAT and service prices generally are very high. I'd rather my country's fiscal brigade or whatever goes after bigger fishes than you :). Tax avoidance != tax fraud (or fiscal fraud)

ptaipale 11y ago
> Oh, come on... you know that there are many forces working in opposite directions in the EU parliament and commission. Of course there are. What I'm saying is that it particularly seems to be parties of the political left, for instance Labour in the UK, who are both pro-EU and against the very essence of EU with their nationalist and protectionist economic rhetoric. The Conservatives, on the other hand, are more skeptical of EU in general but more for free trade. It's similar in other countries. > Tax avoidance != tax fraud (or fiscal fraud) Quite. I don't think anyone has caught Google or other big companies of large-scale tax fraud. There are of course always some small differences of opinion on how some status should be interpreted, but by and large the way the corporations work has been found to be in compliance with law. Large figures of "tax gap" are published but based on fantasy.