Google insider:

By chrisj1968
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Grand Master

chrisj1968

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http://www.thesunday...icle1261720.ece

STN1901GOOGLE_345183k.jpgFormer Google executive Barney Jones has a cache of 100,000 emails and documents (Paul Vicente)

A FORMER Google executive has blown the whistle on a massive and ?immoral? tax avoidance scheme that has ?cheated? British taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of pounds over the past decade.

Barney Jones, 34, who worked for the internet search giant between 2002 and 2006, has lifted the lid on an elaborate structure which diverts British profits through Ireland to the Bermuda tax haven.

Although Google?s London sales staff would negotiate and sign contracts with British customers, and cash was paid into a UK bank account, deals were technically booked through its Dublin office to minimise its liabilities here. Jones, a devout Christian and father of four, is ready to hand over a cache of more than 100,000 emails and documents to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), detailing the ?concocted scheme?.

He has already provided testimony to the Commons public accounts committee (PAC) which led to the combative questioning

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Grand Master

+Majesticmerc MVC

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  • MVC
Posted

All companies do this. It's perfectly legal, even if it is immoral (and it is). At the end of the day, the government made these tax laws (and the loopholes therein), so it's up to them to fix the bugs in the system.

On a side note? What is the relevance of the whistleblower being "a devout christian and father of four"? Is this somehow supposed to make him morally superior?

  • Breach and djdanster
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Grand Master

n_K

Posted
Posted

"Immoral does not equal illegal"

True, now please re-read, this is illegal. The head of google UK was being questioned about it and was adament that 'deals were not done in the UK nor was money changed hands in the UK' but it is, this guy is testfying to it, therefore it is illegal.

Mentor

Sylar0

Posted
Posted

All companies do this. It's perfectly legal, even if it is immoral (and it is). At the end of the day, the government made these tax laws (and the loopholes therein), so it's up to them to fix the bugs in the system.

On a side note? What is the relevance of the whistleblower being "a devout christian and father of four"? Is this somehow supposed to make him morally superior?

Apparently so..........

Immoral does not equal illegal. Scam implies fraudulent activity. Sounds like tabloid journalism spinning a story. I'm all for businesses pay taxes like the next man, but if something needs fixing it's the law.

Indeed but I find it disgusting they should WANT to pay full taxes... sigh what ever happened to a sense of community.

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