Boris Don't sneer at Starbucks over tax payment

Peter Moris 16 December 2012 

Boris: Don't sneer at Starbucks over tax payment

London Mayor Boris Johnson has urged people not to "sneer" at the coffee chain Starbucks over its decision to pay £20m in corporation tax.

The company, which has come under considerable criticism for paying nothing over the past three years, announced the move earlier this month.

Critics described this as a desperate attempt to improve publicity.

But Mr Johnson told the BBC, Starbucks was showing "corporate responsibility" and the issue was "difficult".

The company has paid £8.6m in corporation tax in its 14 years of trading in the UK and nothing in the last three years, despite UK sales of nearly £400m in 2011.

Starbucks has reported a taxable profit only once in its 15 years of operating in the UK, often posting losses.

But it announced on 6 December that it would pay "a significant amount of tax during 2013 and 2014, regardless of whether the company is profitable". Experts estimated this would amount to about £20m.

This came after much public anger over the revelation of how little corporation tax it pays in the UK, with some people saying they would boycott its outlets.

Amazon and Google, have also been criticised for paying too little UK tax. They said they would not be following Starbucks' voluntary contribution lead.

Interviewed on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Johnson said the tax issue was "a very difficult one", adding: "I can not exactly blame the finance directors of these companies for doing their job."

He said: "Their salaries and livings depend on minimising the tax exposure obligations on their companies."

Mr Johnson said the government could "try to change the arrangements", but added: "If companies are going to show corporate responsibility... we shouldn't sneer at them."

Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement that more money was going to HM Revenue & Customs to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.

He said the aim was to get an additional £9bn in tax revenues every year.

 

Мэр Лондона Борис Джонсон призвал  людей не "глумиться" над кофе Starbucks его решение выплатить 20 миллионов фунтов налоговой корпорации.

 

Компания, которая попала под серьезную критику не платя ничего за последние три года, объявила о движении в начале этого месяца.

 

Критики  описали это как отчаянную  попытку улучшить рекламу.

 

Но г-н Джонсон сказал BBC, Starbucks показывает "корпоративную ответственность", и вопрос был "трудным".

 

Компания заплатила £ 8,6 млн. за корпоративный налог за 14 лет  торговли в Великобритании и ничего в течение последних трех лет, несмотря на продажи в Великобритании около 400 млн фунтов в 2011 году.

 

Starbucks сообщила о налогооблагаемой  прибыли, только один раз в  15 лет, работающих в Великобритании.

 

Но она объявила 6 декабря, что  компания будет платить "значительную сумму налога в течение 2013 и 2014 годов, независимо от того, прибыльна ли она". По оценкам экспертов, это составит около 20 миллионов фунтов.

 

Это произошло после большой  общественный гнев по поводу откровений о том, как маленький корпоративный  налог он платит в Великобритании, некоторые люди говорят, что они  будут бойкотировать своих торговых точках.

 

Amazon и Google, также подвергалась  критике за то, что слишком  мало платят налог Великобритании. Они сказали, что они не будут  платить добровольно ведущий вклад в Starbucks.

 

В интервью BBC One Эндрю Марр Show, г-н  Джонсон сказал, что налоговый  вопрос был "очень трудным", добавив: ". Я не могу точно сказать кто виноват финансовые директора этих компаний делают свою работу"

 

Он сказал: "Их заработная плата  и Ливингс  зависит от минимизации налоговых обязательств воздействия на свои компании».

 

Г-н Джонсон заявил, что правительство  может «попытаться изменить договоренности", но добавил: "Если компании собираются показать корпоративную ответственность... мы не должны глумиться над ними".

 

Канцлер Джордж Осборн объявил в  своем заявлении, что осенью больше денег собирается HM Revenue & Таможенного  решать уклонение от уплаты налогов  и уклонения от налогов.

 

Он сказал, что цель была поставлена, чтобы получить £ 9 млрд. налоговых поступлений в год.

 

 

 

 

 

Rendering

 

 

The article is dated 8 December 2012

The article is headlined Boris: Don't sneer at Starbucks over tax payment

 

The author of the article is Peter Moris

 

The article was published on the site BBC News. The article refers to the field of  economy. The central topic is additional taxation Starbucks,. The article deals with a topical problems of today: refusal to pay taxes to the government. The author speaks in detail tax issue was "very difficult", "I cannot say who was responsible, the financial director of these companies are doing their job". Further on, the author writes about Mr Johnson said the government could "try to change the arrangements", but added: "If companies are going to show corporate responsibility... we shouldn't sneer at them." In conclusion the author writes Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement that more money was going to HM Revenue & Customs to tackle tax avoidance and evasion. I find this article to be knowledgeable in the tax system, not only in our country but also in other countries.