Google Inc (GOOG) is an Artful (Tax) Dodger, Says U.K. Report

The report’s chief author, Margaret Hodge, head of the powerful Public Accounts Committee in Parliament, wrote, “Google brazenly argued before this committee that its tax arrangements in the U.K. are defensible and lawful. … (But the) argument is deeply unconvincing and has been undermined by information from whistleblowers, including ex-employees of Google, who told us that U.K.-based staff are engaged in selling.”

In response, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) said it was in support of a fairer and more clear tax system, but said in a statement, “As we’ve always said, Google complies with all the tax rules in the U.K., and it is the politicians who make those rules. It’s clear from this report that the Public Accounts Committee wants to see international companies paying more tax where their customers are located, but that’s not how the rules operate today.”

What are your thoughts about this? Is Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) operating according to the law, or is it truly a tax dodger? Give us your feedback in the comments section below.

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