The other big point about immigration whilst being part of the EU - and this does connect with the existing crisis - is that a country (ooh, let's say, Germany) can unilaterally decide to let in millions, give them passports, and then those millions have a right to live in the UK. So a member state can effectively open the doors of another member state to people from outside the EU as well. We are entirely at the mercy of the immigration/citizenship policies of other member states.
We are not part of Schengen and even assuming they are granted German citizenship it will take 8 years. As refugees they have no rights to go anywhere. It seems unlikely to me we will join Schengen and it seems unlikely to me we will join the Euro. Germany currently has 1.55 million guest workers from Turkey. 2.71 million residents with at least 1 parent from Turkey. Why have you suddenly taken up this scare story?
Schengen has got nowt to do with it.
Once they become German citizens they will enjoy the four freedoms.
This migrant situation is unprecedented in EU history and could well presage the undoing of the EU.
Many are economic migrants not "refugees" in the true meaning of the term. That's the big problem those who really need our help are just lost in the masses of illegal entrants.
The other big point about immigration whilst being part of the EU - and this does connect with the existing crisis - is that a country (ooh, let's say, Germany) can unilaterally decide to let in millions, give them passports, and then those millions have a right to live in the UK. So a member state can effectively open the doors of another member state to people from outside the EU as well. We are entirely at the mercy of the immigration/citizenship policies of other member states.
We are not part of Schengen and even assuming they are granted German citizenship it will take 8 years. As refugees they have no rights to go anywhere. It seems unlikely to me we will join Schengen and it seems unlikely to me we will join the Euro. Germany currently has 1.55 million guest workers from Turkey. 2.71 million residents with at least 1 parent from Turkey. Why have you suddenly taken up this scare story?
What of the following is untrue?
-Germany has unilaterally (ie without agreement of other EU states or the Commission) let in millions of non-EU citizens to come to live within its borders;
-Those millions will in 5 years under German law be eligible for German citizenship;
-With German citizenship they will be free to live anywhere in the EU, including of course the UK;
-Therefore people who the UK government did not wish to enter the UK will be allowed to enter the UK because of Germany's internal policies and EU law relating to free movement and allowing member states to chose their own citizenship law.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
Its not just Labour though is it. There are a swathe of fruitloops - you can read them on here - who see Osborne as a block to a fruit loop replacing Cameron as PM and are falling over making fools of themselves inventing anti Osborne stories. Osborne is a serious player in a serious game and is a serious contender for next tory leader. I am still waiting to here some serious suggestions for an alternative. I do this from a perspective of not viewing him as perfect but no party leader in history has been perfect. But where is the realistic leader who can offer more of what Osborne allegedlycannot? Trying to nail Osborne with a Miliband-like image is one of the sadder attempts. He has been shadow chancellor, Chancellor and and a senior public tory figure well into the public eye for over 10 years. He is well known and the tories strangely enough have a good record for economic competence under his guidance.
The other big point about immigration whilst being part of the EU - and this does connect with the existing crisis - is that a country (ooh, let's say, Germany) can unilaterally decide to let in millions, give them passports, and then those millions have a right to live in the UK. So a member state can effectively open the doors of another member state to people from outside the EU as well. We are entirely at the mercy of the immigration/citizenship policies of other member states.
We are not part of Schengen and even assuming they are granted German citizenship it will take 8 years. As refugees they have no rights to go anywhere. It seems unlikely to me we will join Schengen and it seems unlikely to me we will join the Euro. Germany currently has 1.55 million guest workers from Turkey. 2.71 million residents with at least 1 parent from Turkey. Why have you suddenly taken up this scare story?
Schengen has got nowt to do with it.
Once they become German citizens they will enjoy the four freedoms.
This migrant situation is unprecedented in EU history and could well presage the undoing of the EU.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
GO has screwed up. He presented the "deal" as a huge achievement when it was anything but - Sajid Javid had to acknowledge this today. Since it's gone tits up Osborne's been notable by his absence.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
It is surely a great vision - and one that can be achieved - for Britain to be the lead nation of a European non-EU bloc, consisting of ourselves, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, the micro-states, and possibly Morocco, Turkey and other outlying nations.
We might even be able to rob from the EU countries such as Denmark, Poland, even Greece one day...
A vision, certainly, but a grand one? A team consisting of UK, Norway, Iceland, Morocco, Turkey et al does not come across as the first division.
Oh go back to your little world of the one party control of the glorified Scottish county council. Leave the deliberations of foreign policy to those of us who are not Little Scotlanders.
Says the cosmopolitan intending to scuttle off to more sympatico parts of the Anglosphere because of the furriners swamping his neighborhood.
Scotland is part of the Anglosphere last time I checked.
And, be in no doubt, the German authorities will be glad to disperse several million of the newly-created German citizens around the EU.. they're already trying it now through some quota system. Soon they'll just give them German (and EU) citizenship and then it doesn't matter whether you're in Schengen or not, they'll be free to cross any EU border.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
GO has screwed up. He presented the "deal" as a huge achievement when it was anything but - Sajid Javid had to acknowledge this today. Since it's gone tits up Osborne's been notable by his absence.
Maccavity 2.
Screwed up by collecting 130 million in back taxes the Labour government failed to collect but now are howling at the moon. That's an interesting definition of " screwed up" . Perhaps he and HMRC should have done nothing and avoided this flak altogether? Don't particularly like Osborn but he has secured what Labour failed to do and agreed payments from this point on.
If you wish to define that as "screwed up" fine but if we are doing that then let's have a lot more of these screw ups then as its certainly good for the exchequer.
The other big point about immigration whilst being part of the EU - and this does connect with the existing crisis - is that a country (ooh, let's say, Germany) can unilaterally decide to let in millions, give them passports, and then those millions have a right to live in the UK. So a member state can effectively open the doors of another member state to people from outside the EU as well. We are entirely at the mercy of the immigration/citizenship policies of other member states.
We are not part of Schengen and even assuming they are granted German citizenship it will take 8 years. As refugees they have no rights to go anywhere. It seems unlikely to me we will join Schengen and it seems unlikely to me we will join the Euro. Germany currently has 1.55 million guest workers from Turkey. 2.71 million residents with at least 1 parent from Turkey. Why have you suddenly taken up this scare story?
What of the following is untrue?
-Germany has unilaterally (ie without agreement of other EU states or the Commission) let in millions of non-EU citizens to come to live within its borders;
-Those millions will in 5 years under German law be eligible for German citizenship;
-With German citizenship they will be free to live anywhere in the EU, including of course the UK;
-Therefore people who the UK government did not wish to enter the UK will be allowed to enter the UK because of Germany's internal policies and EU law relating to free movement and allowing member states to chose their own citizenship law.
Tens of millions of Germany and hundreds of millions of Europeans have rights to live anywhere in Europe. Why are you scaremongering so hysterically about people who will have been settled in a prosperous Germany - a large country with a need for new workers - for anything between 5 and 8 years before they have rights to migrate elsewhere under EU law.
Free movement of labour would be a requirement of membership of the EU single market no matter where we are. The EU exists and we will want membership of its single market.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
The Irish company is very real and not a nameplate on an office designed for tax avoidance. It's their EU headquarters.
Google is the EU Single Market personified, this is exactly how it is supposed to work.
French tax law is different to UK tax law. Any amounts paid to governments are not comparable. It makes no difference at all to Google of course, they offset the UK and France tax against Irish tax. The only loser in all this is Ireland.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
GO has screwed up. He presented the "deal" as a huge achievement when it was anything but - Sajid Javid had to acknowledge this today. Since it's gone tits up Osborne's been notable by his absence.
Maccavity 2.
Screwed up by collecting 130 million in back taxes the Labour government failed to collect but now are howling at the moon. That's an interesting definition of " screwed up" . Perhaps he and HMRC should have done nothing and avoided this flak altogether? Don't particularly like Osborn but he has secured what Labour failed to do and agreed payments from this point on.
If you wish to define that as "screwed up" fine but if we are doing that then let's have a lot more of these screw ups then as its certainly good for the exchequer.
Well take it as you will. but if GOs own henchman is describing the deal as not a glorious moment then maybe he at least realises it hasn;t gone down well.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
QED.
If your benchmark of success is incontinent labour be my guest.
It is surely a great vision - and one that can be achieved - for Britain to be the lead nation of a European non-EU bloc, consisting of ourselves, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, the micro-states, and possibly Morocco, Turkey and other outlying nations.
We might even be able to rob from the EU countries such as Denmark, Poland, even Greece one day...
A vision, certainly, but a grand one? A team consisting of UK, Norway, Iceland, Morocco, Turkey et al does not come across as the first division.
Whereas hanging out with Malta, Cyprus and a bunch of Eastern European tiddlers is?
The other big point about immigration whilst being part of the EU - and this does connect with the existing crisis - is that a country (ooh, let's say, Germany) can unilaterally decide to let in millions, give them passports, and then those millions have a right to live in the UK. So a member state can effectively open the doors of another member state to people from outside the EU as well. We are entirely at the mercy of the immigration/citizenship policies of other member states.
We are not part of Schengen and even assuming they are granted German citizenship it will take 8 years. As refugees they have no rights to go anywhere. It seems unlikely to me we will join Schengen and it seems unlikely to me we will join the Euro. Germany currently has 1.55 million guest workers from Turkey. 2.71 million residents with at least 1 parent from Turkey. Why have you suddenly taken up this scare story?
Schengen has got nowt to do with it.
Once they become German citizens they will enjoy the four freedoms.
This migrant situation is unprecedented in EU history and could well presage the undoing of the EU.
It will not undo the EU. I might have thought so one time but that notion has been touted too often and come undone. Certainly the way the EU works needs reform but why should any of these refugees who stay and become German citizens want to or be in a position to move on after 8 years? A prosperous Germany is not a backwards Bulgaria. Germany has made a big cross for itself to carry, it thinks it needs these people because of its demographics.
It is surely a great vision - and one that can be achieved - for Britain to be the lead nation of a European non-EU bloc, consisting of ourselves, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, the micro-states, and possibly Morocco, Turkey and other outlying nations.
We might even be able to rob from the EU countries such as Denmark, Poland, even Greece one day...
A vision, certainly, but a grand one? A team consisting of UK, Norway, Iceland, Morocco, Turkey et al does not come across as the first division.
Not grand, but pretty good - some rich countries (Switzerland, Norway, micro-states), a large developed country with the world's financial centre (that's us!), a populous developing country in a strategic location (Turkey) and several other states that would otherwise be under pressure to join/be subservient to the EU now finding themselves with more agreeable partners.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
QED.
If your benchmark of success is incontinent labour be my guest.
Personally I have higher standards.
Well it was the benchmark set previously of course and TBF not difficult to beat
It appears the penny is finally dropping for Tory MPs:
GEORGE Osborne’s hopes of becoming PM have been severely dented by the Google tax shambles, Tories claim – as a senior minister branded him a “social cripple like Gordon Brown”.
Top Conservatives are increasingly worried the Chancellor does not have what it takes to succeed David Cameron, with another minister saying voters see him as “weird” like Ed Miliband.
...
“It’s like Ed Miliband and the ‘weird’ thing - people look at him and they don’t like him, they’re not even sure why."
Wonder which "senior minister" it is, they're astonishingly rude whoever it is.
The Sun doesn't name names of the Tories who bad-mouth GO. Looks like there are some cowards in the Tory party or the Sun is trying to keep its sources happy.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
QED.
If your benchmark of success is incontinent labour be my guest.
Personally I have higher standards.
Well it was the benchmark set previously of course and TBF not difficult to beat
precisely
not difficult to beat, which makes the initial crowing all the more ridiculous, The benchmark should be the tax bill if paid at normal UK rates.
Oh go back to your little world of the one party control of the glorified Scottish county council. Leave the deliberations of foreign policy to those of us who are not Little Scotlanders.
Says the cosmopolitan intending to scuttle off to more sympatico parts of the Anglosphere because of the furriners swamping his neighborhood.
Scotland is part of the Anglosphere last time I checked.
And?
You think it isnae?
You seemed to be making a point, I just hadn't a clue what it was.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
The Irish company is very real and not a nameplate on an office designed for tax avoidance. It's their EU headquarters.
Google is the EU Single Market personified, this is exactly how it is supposed to work.
French tax law is different to UK tax law. Any amounts paid to governments are not comparable. It makes no difference at all to Google of course, they offset the UK and France tax against Irish tax. The only loser in all this is Ireland.
French corporation tax is 33% The French may well end up with no benefit from Google. Its in this country that Google are taking on more workers and building a glossy new local HQ building. The FT say that money sent back to Ireland then goes via Netherlands, back to Ireland and on to tax free Bermuda. I'm not sure how Ireland get much benefit. What I do know is that this govt is in the forefront of trying to sort this sort of international shenanigans out.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
QED.
If your benchmark of success is incontinent labour be my guest.
Personally I have higher standards.
Well it was the benchmark set previously of course and TBF not difficult to beat
precisely
not difficult to beat, which makes the initial crowing all the more ridiculous, The benchmark should be the tax bill if paid at normal UK rates.
There will always be people who argue the bar is not high enough. I think the anger, if that's what it is, should really be directed at Labour for not collecting in the first place rather than at someone who at least tried to recoup those losses after many years. The difference in the amount collected and that possible collected at the time just reinforces Labours ineptitude with public finances ( as if we needed and reminding)
I think I only have to keep my tax documentation for 7 years if I recollect correctly. Perhaps companies are different because this tax was due over 10 years ago of course and so records may not even exist now and even if they do are probably not even in this country.
And, be in no doubt, the German authorities will be glad to disperse several million of the newly-created German citizens around the EU.. they're already trying it now through some quota system. Soon they'll just give them German (and EU) citizenship and then it doesn't matter whether you're in Schengen or not, they'll be free to cross any EU border.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
The Irish company is very real and not a nameplate on an office designed for tax avoidance. It's their EU headquarters.
Google is the EU Single Market personified, this is exactly how it is supposed to work.
French tax law is different to UK tax law. Any amounts paid to governments are not comparable. It makes no difference at all to Google of course, they offset the UK and France tax against Irish tax. The only loser in all this is Ireland.
French corporation tax is 33% The French may well end up with no benefit from Google. Its in this country that Google are taking on more workers and building a glossy new local HQ building. The FT say that money sent back to Ireland then goes via Netherlands, back to Ireland and on to tax free Bermuda. I'm not sure how Ireland get much benefit. What I do know is that this govt is in the forefront of trying to sort this sort of international shenanigans out.
At the forefront? They're the GOVERNMENT. Who else should be at the forefront, the WI? The Pony Club? The cast of EastEnders? Good grief.
Osborne collected 130 million more than Labour did in 13 years...he will do for me...pays for a lot of nurses...
The £130m relates to tax years 2005-2011. So almost entirely under the previous Labour govt. Yet Labour honestly think that this is something they can hang on the present govt?
I think their argument is it was a sweetener deal however, irrespective of that the last Labour chancellors collected a big fat zero. So, All Osborne has to do is keep standing up every time it's raised and ask
"Will the right honourable gentleman please outline how much tax the last Labour Chancellor collected from this company between 2005 to 2010 compared to this present Tory chancellor collection of owed back taxes from this company over the same period? "
Quite. An Irish company trading in the UK never had any obligation to pay UK corporation tax at all. We got £130m out of them for 2005-11, and a promise that they will book future UK sales from a UK company. Well done HMRC.
Except of course France where Google does less business has hit them with a £380m tax bill for the same "Irish" company.
The Irish company is very real and not a nameplate on an office designed for tax avoidance. It's their EU headquarters.
Google is the EU Single Market personified, this is exactly how it is supposed to work.
French tax law is different to UK tax law. Any amounts paid to governments are not comparable. It makes no difference at all to Google of course, they offset the UK and France tax against Irish tax. The only loser in all this is Ireland.
Well except, as Google use use the Double Irish one of the companies is indeed a nameplate.
Comments
-Germany has unilaterally (ie without agreement of other EU states or the Commission) let in millions of non-EU citizens to come to live within its borders;
-Those millions will in 5 years under German law be eligible for German citizenship;
-With German citizenship they will be free to live anywhere in the EU, including of course the UK;
-Therefore people who the UK government did not wish to enter the UK will be allowed to enter the UK because of Germany's internal policies and EU law relating to free movement and allowing member states to chose their own citizenship law.
I am still waiting to here some serious suggestions for an alternative. I do this from a perspective of not viewing him as perfect but no party leader in history has been perfect. But where is the realistic leader who can offer more of what Osborne allegedlycannot?
Trying to nail Osborne with a Miliband-like image is one of the sadder attempts. He has been shadow chancellor, Chancellor and and a senior public tory figure well into the public eye for over 10 years. He is well known and the tories strangely enough have a good record for economic competence under his guidance.
Maccavity 2.
Well done HMRC.
If you wish to define that as "screwed up" fine but if we are doing that then let's have a lot more of these screw ups then as its certainly good for the exchequer.
Free movement of labour would be a requirement of membership of the EU single market no matter where we are. The EU exists and we will want membership of its single market.
QED.
Google is the EU Single Market personified, this is exactly how it is supposed to work.
French tax law is different to UK tax law. Any amounts paid to governments are not comparable. It makes no difference at all to Google of course, they offset the UK and France tax against Irish tax. The only loser in all this is Ireland.
Personally I have higher standards.
Certainly the way the EU works needs reform but why should any of these refugees who stay and become German citizens want to or be in a position to move on after 8 years? A prosperous Germany is not a backwards Bulgaria.
Germany has made a big cross for itself to carry, it thinks it needs these people because of its demographics.
The Sun doesn't name names of the Tories who bad-mouth GO. Looks like there are some cowards in the Tory party or the Sun is trying to keep its sources happy.
not difficult to beat, which makes the initial crowing all the more ridiculous, The benchmark should be the tax bill if paid at normal UK rates.
Language differences I guess.
The French may well end up with no benefit from Google. Its in this country that Google are taking on more workers and building a glossy new local HQ building.
The FT say that money sent back to Ireland then goes via Netherlands, back to Ireland and on to tax free Bermuda. I'm not sure how Ireland get much benefit. What I do know is that this govt is in the forefront of trying to sort this sort of international shenanigans out.
I think I only have to keep my tax documentation for 7 years if I recollect correctly. Perhaps companies are different because this tax was due over 10 years ago of course and so records may not even exist now and even if they do are probably not even in this country.
130 million pays for a lot of nurses..