Google's Taxes (and Tax Breaks)

Filed in archive News on November 16, 2009

© alancleaver_2000


Google gets a lot of flack for any number of reasons. They're a huge company so it happens. But a new article from TechCrunch brings a new reason for people to growl at the big G.

The controversy revolves around Google's taxes. As international corporation, Google has to have a branch for the UK. Turns out however that Google does not station its headquarters in London but instead in Ireland. So why station themselves there instead of on the mainland? The taxes are substantial cheaper in Ireland.

Now some government official in England feel that Google is legally evading their taxes. (Note: legally.) Of course plenty of companies do similar things to avoid the substantial taxes associated with a London headquarters, but because Google is such a huge company it is getting special attention.

This discussion has less to do with technology and more to do with business in general. Do you think Google who employs thousands of people in the UK should be forced to pay special taxes to Great Britain? Or is this not something we should bother Google about? The author of the TechCrunch article feels like Google shouldn't be burdened with all this anger and that the best solution is for England to make itself more business friendly.

Makes you wonder if the uproar would exist for a smaller company. If Google weren't the multi-billion entity that it is, this kind of press probably would never happen.

So tell us what you think about this situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.