News Google Paris Offices Raided by French Tax inspectors and Police

[Barry-xlovecam]

Go team Google
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business...0YP/story.html

By Raphael Satter Associated Press May 24, 2016

PARIS ? French police have raided Google?s Paris offices as part of an investigation into ??aggravated tax fraud?? and money laundering, authorities said Tuesday. The raid is the latest regulatory headache for the American search engine-and-email company, which like other Silicon Valley firms faces increasing questions about its complex tax arrangements. ...
... ??The investigation is aimed at finding out whether Google Ireland Ltd. is permanently established in France and if, by not declaring some of its activity on French soil, it has failed to meet its fiscal obligations, in particular with regard to corporation tax and value added tax.??...

From India (The SEO Coder Guys?)

French authorities believe the Californian group owes 1.6 billion euros (USD 1.7 billion) in back taxes, a source close to the matter said in February.


Google is one of several multinational corporations that have come under fire in Europe for paying extremely low taxes by shifting revenue across borders in an often complex web of financial arrangements. Its European operations are headquartered in Ireland, which has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in the region.
- See more at: French tax police raid Google?s Paris offices | The Indian Express

[rowan]

Gee, who would think that a government would get pissed off at a complex offshore corporate structure, set up specifically to avoid paying tax in their country?

Funny thing is that many of these companies would still be highly profitable, even if they had to pay full 'local' tax on their earnings. They just wouldn't be insanely profitable.

Don't Apple have something like 100 billion dollars cash on hand?

[AdultKing]

Originally Posted by rowan

Don't Apple have something like 100 billion dollars cash on hand?

Yes and they can't repatriate it all for fear of paying tax on it.

Unfortunately, in most countries, Governments have been very slow in enacting tax reform to keep up with all these off shore mechanisms for tax minimisation.

Google bills out billions of dollars outside the US yet pays very little tax in any jurisdiction it operates in, Microsoft and Apple are the same.

[Jman]

Originally Posted by AdultKing

Yes and they can't repatriate it all for fear of paying tax on it.

Unfortunately, in most countries, Governments have been very slow in enacting tax reform to keep up with all these off shore mechanisms for tax minimisation.

Google bills out billions of dollars outside the US yet pays very little tax in any jurisdiction it operates in, Microsoft and Apple are the same.

[Barry-xlovecam]

I checked the shorts on GOOG after I posted this and they were not out of the ordinary. I guess Alaphabet (Google) just shits money.

If your sale is made from France but payment is made to you at your Ireland Headquarters Google would have situs in Ireland -- the French don't see it that way ... They say the income generated in France has Income tax due

The French government is arguing Taxable Situs?

Taxable Situs

The location where charges may be levied upon Personal Property by a government, pursuant to provisions of its tax laws.The situs of property for tax purposes is determined on the basis of whether the state imposing the tax has adequate contact with the property it is seeking to tax so that the particular tax is justified in fairness. Ordinarily personal property has its taxable situs in the place where its owner is domiciled or in the state where the owner has a true, fixed, and permanent home.

With regard to employment laws in Google's French places of business this would be true.
With regard to VAT tax on Google's Digital Sales it is the Country of the buyer that gets the 'bounty.'
Impots.gouv.fr - Les procédures amiables
Little problem: Ireland and France have an income tax treaty.

Watch the stock price

[_Richard_]

so, US kills Frances Mistral deal with Russia, and now France comes down on Google.. and Apple? and microsoft?

i wonder if it's connected in anyway.

[DukeSkywalker]

Originally Posted by AdultKing

Yes and they can't repatriate it all for fear of paying tax on it.

Unfortunately, in most countries, Governments have been very slow in enacting tax reform to keep up with all these off shore mechanisms for tax minimisation.

Google bills out billions of dollars outside the US yet pays very little tax in any jurisdiction it operates in, Microsoft and Apple are the same.

Adult king takes shit about apple very seriously. it's akin to talking shit about Total in Tourettes Guy's house

[woj]

What's wrong with minimizing taxes? lower taxes = more $$ going where it should be going, to investors...

[Paul Markham]

Companies like Google expect to sell in countries where they have no intentions of paying the taxes. They ask their customers to do that for them.

[woj]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

Companies like Google expect to sell in countries where they have no intentions of paying the taxes. They ask their customers to do that for them.

you hire some guy in France to sell your content for you... he finds 100 French buyers for you, you sell 100 packages for $1k each = $100k made...

french government says "wait a min, you have 'presence' in France, so you owe us $50k tax"...

You think they are right? You would obviously gladly pay that, right?

[TrafficRush]

Google just steals money from publishers and sends it overseas..

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by woj

you hire some guy in France to sell your content for you... he finds 100 French buyers for you, you sell 100 packages for $1k each = $100k made...

french government says "wait a min, you have 'presence' in France, so you owe us $50k tax"...

You think they are right? You would obviously gladly pay that, right?

does he think the french government is right in thinking, that because a person sold 100k in products in france, that the person would owe french taxes?

just to clarify?

[woj]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

does he think the french government is right in thinking, that because a person sold 100k in products in france, that the person would owe french taxes?

just to clarify?

I meant that he, as a non-French citizen/company, would owe French "income tax" on that $100k income...

[Barry-xlovecam]

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/da...anvier2014.PDF
International Services Group/Deloitte_Doing-business-in-france-gb

https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/ser...tes-table.html

corporate-tax-rates-table--kpmg

Send Lawyers, Guns and Money ...


Google's profit revenue generated in France is subject to a 33.33% corporate income tax. Ireland's corporate income tax is 12.5%.

The Accountants and Tax Lawyers v. the governments involved will reach an agreement.

[rowan]

Originally Posted by woj

you hire some guy in France to sell your content for you... he finds 100 French buyers for you, you sell 100 packages for $1k each = $100k made...

french government says "wait a min, you have 'presence' in France, so you owe us $50k tax"...

You think they are right? You would obviously gladly pay that, right?

This is a strange analogy. Google has offices in France, identify as the company name Google, and provide specific services to France. This is not a third party reseller.

[oppoten]

so ISIS bombed Paris and they missed Google?

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by woj

you hire some guy in France to sell your content for you... he finds 100 French buyers for you, you sell 100 packages for $1k each = $100k made...

french government says "wait a min, you have 'presence' in France, so you owe us $50k tax"...

You think they are right? You would obviously gladly pay that, right?

The guy in France pays the taxes. And I would pay the profit that comes from France here in Czech. So yes I would be fine with that.

Anyway, Google are only based in Bermuda on paper. A company should be based where they have the most employees and activity. So your point is wrong. Or stupid.

Because Google expects you to pay the taxes they don't. Or run your country into debt.

Are you fine with that?

[Barry-xlovecam]

Forbes google-moved-billions-of-dollars-to-bermuda-to-avoid-taxes-again

On Friday, Reuters reported that in 2014 the tech giant—which now falls under parent company Alphabet—transferred 11.7 billion Euros (approximately $13 billion) to Bermuda in an effort to minimize the taxes it had to pay on its income through a little tax maneuver that has been dubbed a “Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich.”

In the simplest of terms, Google , like many multinational corporations, used differences in the Irish and American tax codes to its advantage. A portion of Google’s profits are paid to an Irish affiliate as royalties on its patents (which are taxed at a lower rate). To further avoid taxes, this money is then routed to the company’s Dutch subsidiary, Google Netherlands Holdings BV. From there, the company tranfers its revenue to another affiliate, Google Ireland Holdings, which is based in the notorious tax haven of Bermuda—but registered in Ireland, Reuters reports. So there you have it—double Irish with a Dutch sandwich.

[rowan]

Originally Posted by Barry-xlovecam

Forbes google-moved-billions-of-dollars-to-bermuda-to-avoid-taxes-again

In response to a FORBES request for comment, a Google spokesperson asserted via email: ?Google complies with the tax laws in every country where we operate.?

Translation: we know that on the face of it we're being absolute cunts, but it's legal and everyone else does it, so we'll milk the system for as long as we possibly can.

Wonder what they'll do in 2020? Will a bunch of corporate 'headquarters' suddenly shift away from Ireland? I noticed that when I paid for advertising on Facebook, my agreement was with Facebook Ireland.

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by rowan

In response to a FORBES request for comment, a Google spokesperson asserted via email: “Google complies with the tax laws in every country where we operate.”

Translation: we know that on the face of it we're being absolute cunts, but it's legal and everyone else does it, so we'll milk the system for as long as we possibly can.

Wonder what they'll do in 2020? Will a bunch of corporate 'headquarters' suddenly shift away from Ireland? I noticed that when I paid for advertising on Facebook, my agreement was with Facebook Ireland.

If we ever needed proof that big business runs Governments, the laws on Tax Havens prove it.

It would be no problem for the US and EU to sit down and make a law saying that the main HQ, where the most people are employed or where the sales are made, is the country where Corporation Taxes are paid. They could even Block countries like Panama, Bermuda, Caymans, as places where profits can be sent to.

They don't. They prefer to run the country into debts, cut back on services for the ordinary people or let them bear the tax burden.

The strange part is some Americans think these companies are marvelous and happy to pay for these companies immoral ass licking tax dodging.

They might even elect a President who is up to his eyes in it. A President who tries to appeal to the common man, as he ass fucks them.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by rowan

In response to a FORBES request for comment, a Google spokesperson asserted via email: ?Google complies with the tax laws in every country where we operate.?

Translation: we know that on the face of it we're being absolute cunts, but it's legal and everyone else does it, so we'll milk the system for as long as we possibly can.

Wonder what they'll do in 2020? Will a bunch of corporate 'headquarters' suddenly shift away from Ireland? I noticed that when I paid for advertising on Facebook, my agreement was with Facebook Ireland.

whole thing is fubar