NEWS & MEDIA
Facebook say that their low profits in the UK are down to the workings of the international tax system which require them to pay their taxes in their home country. But an analysis of Facebook’s accounts demonstrates that doesn’t appear to be happening, with the evidence strongly suggesting that most of Facebook’s profits are being shifted into tax havens. This resulted in Facebook paying an average tax rate of just 12% in 2018, when the US Federal rate is 21%. […]
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A new report looks into why the government is spending three times more than planned on subsidising the video games industry.
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Both Labour and the OECD are talking about unitary taxation. But what is unitary taxation and how do the OECD’s proposals work? We set out some of the issues confronting politicians as they seek a solution to the problem of tax dodging by multinational enterprises,
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TAX WATCH INVESTIGATIONS
Swedish goats, Japanese hedgehogs and Batman
£324m of taxpayer money has been spent subsidising “culturally British” games, including Batman, Sonic, and Goat Simulator. To receive this relief, developers have to pass the BFI’s test – which we show is almost impossible to fail.
The government tax break worth £100m+ for Heathrow
For years Heathrow made billions in operating profit, but paid nothing in tax. We reveal how OECD attempts to tighten up the tax system have been undermined by the UK government, giving the shareholders of Heathrow a benefit worth more than £100m a year.
Corporate Tax and Tech companies in the UK
Still Crazy after All these years
Our first report – looking at 5 of the world’s largest tech companies operating in the UK – Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and Cisco Systems.
These companies have a reputation for aggressively avoiding tax. Measured in billions of dollars these titans of the US make massive profits but pay relatively little tax in the UK.
We have estimated the UK revenues and profits of these companies and calculated the tax they might have been expected to pay, if those profits were reported in the UK.
WHAT WE DO
TaxWatch UK is an investigative think tank which aims to broaden public participation in the debate on tax. We monitor and report on the tax payments of large companies working in the UK, and research tax strategies used by companies and wealthy individuals. Our aim is to provide the unbiased and independent information necessary to allow the public to hold the government and major tax payers to account. We also analyse and put forward policy proposals for improving the tax system with the goal of creating a fairer tax system for all.
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