HM Revenue and Customs seen from Parliament Square (Whitehall, London, England). Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in June 2005 and placed in the public domain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is an important MUST READ article published by the MailOnline. Check it out!
HMRC is widely regarded as giving multi-nationals an easy time compared to small businesses and individuals. Even with a multi-million pound settlement, it is likely that Google will escape very lightly, given the size of its revenue base in the UK.
Rather than face years of austerity, surely it would be better to give HMRC the teeth to go after the multi-nationals, so that they paid their full whack of UK taxation?
Any thoughts?
Related articles
Dr Alf's Blog 
Pingback: RBS hit with £3bn bill as hopes slide for sell-off before election: Bank faces huge new mis-selling scandal | Mail Online « Dr Alf's Blog
Pingback: Opinion: Google could face multi-million pound bill after paying just £11.6 million in tax in 2012 | Mail Online – John Gelmini « Dr Alf's Blog
The words “could face” give the game away.
Google will face next to nothing and even if they are made to pay something more to HMRC all they will do is get rid of some people and the taxpayer will end up paying their dole and will save nothing.
Dr Alf’s solution of giving HMRC more clout and resources will not work either because the multinationals employ the best lawyers and accountants and can run rings round HMRC or any of our Civil Servants who are not streetwise enough and far too predictable.
They are capable of going after “little people” like Avon ladies, taxi drivers, fish and chip shop owners and micro businesses which trade on the internet through UK registered websites.
When it comes to major multinationals like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Vodaphone, Arcadia Group PLC, Virgin PLC, Arcelor Mittal, Eon, Glaxo SmithKline and others HMRC is a toothless paper tiger.
The solution is to have lower and flatter rates of corporation and personal tax which eliminate the need for tax evasion and encourage money held offshore to be brought back onshore.
Singapore manages this with stringent compliance and tax rates higher than those prevailing in the Dublin Financial District where Google bases its European operations and is poised by 2016 to be the 2nd global financial center whilst the City of London is relegated to 4th position.
The problem is tax rates which are too high in the UK, too much Government waste, an unaffordable public sector, far too many civil servants, too many lazy and unproductive people and malfeasance arising from the plundering of the public purse which has been going on for years.