LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) – Google Inc faced angry
questions on Thursday from British lawmakers investigating its
tax affairs and whether it had misled parliament in testimony
last year.

Google’s Northern Europe boss, Matt Brittin, was called back
to testify to parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after
a Reuters investigation showed the company employed staff in
sales roles in London, even though he had told the committee in
November its British staff didn’t sell to UK clients.

LONDON (Reuters) – Google Inc faces another grilling over its tax affairs from a committee of MPs on Thursday who have called the company back after questions were raised about testimony given in an earlier hearing.

Corporate tax avoidance has become a major issue in Britain, where there are concerns over rising government debt and accusations from MPs that the UK tax authority has adopted a light touch approach to taxing big businesses.

LONDON (Reuters) – Google Inc faces another grilling over its tax affairs from a committee of British lawmakers on Thursday who have called the company back after questions were raised about testimony given in an earlier hearing.

Corporate tax avoidance has become a major issue in Britain, where there are concerns over rising government debt and accusations from lawmakers that the UK tax authority has adopted a light touch approach to taxing big businesses.

LONDON (Reuters) – Amazon.com’s main UK unit paid $3.7 million of taxes on its 2012 income, it said on Wednesday, despite group UK sales of $6.5 billion (4 billion pounds), prompting criticism from lawmakers and competitors.

Amazon.co.uk Ltd added in its accounts, published through the UK companies register, that it received 2.5 million pounds in government grants during 2012 – just ahead of the 2.4 million it paid in corporation tax, the UK form of corporate income tax.

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) – Amazon.com’s main UK
unit paid $3.7 million of taxes on its 2012 income, it said on
Wednesday, despite group UK sales of $6.5 billion (4 billion
pounds), prompting criticism from lawmakers and competitors.

Amazon.co.uk Ltd added in its accounts, published through
the UK companies register, that it received 2.5 million pounds
in government grants during 2012 – just ahead of the 2.4 million
it paid in corporation tax, the UK form of corporate income tax.

LONDON (Reuters) – A panel of MPs will next week grill representatives from Google Inc and its auditor Ernst & Young, following a Reuters report which highlighted inconsistencies in Google’s statements about its UK activities.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on its website that the representatives would testify on Thursday May 16.

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) – A panel of UK lawmakers will next
week grill representatives from Google Inc and its auditor Ernst
& Young, following a Reuters report which highlighted
inconsistencies in Google’s statements about its UK activities.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on its website that
the representatives would testify on Thursday May 16.

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) – Britain’s accounting regulator
said it had launched two investigations into auditing firm KPMG,
one in relation to its audit of car dealer Pendragon and
another in relation to a partner’s holding of shares in a client
company.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said it was looking at
whether KPMG was independent when it audited Pendragon’s
financial statements for 2010 and 2011, without providing
further detail.

LONDON (Reuters) – The UK’s tax authority has said international tax rules currently under review for failing to tackle tax avoidance can be of benefit to Britain and there are risks in changing them.

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) says in a news briefing document the rules on transfer pricing – the method of pricing transactions between affiliates of a multinational group – allow UK groups to receive income from their overseas affiliates without tax being deducted at source. Such income can then be subject to UK tax.

LONDON (Reuters) – The UK’s tax authority has said international tax rules currently under review for failing to tackle tax avoidance can be of benefit to Britain and there are risks in changing them.

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) says in a new briefing document the rules on transfer pricing – the method of pricing transactions between affiliates of a multinational group – allow UK groups to receive income from their overseas affiliates without tax being deducted at source. Such income can then be subject to UK tax.