Google HQ, California, United States, photo Robbie Shade (Creative Commons)

Google HQ, California, United States, photo Robbie Shade (Creative Commons)   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Conservatives have no interest in collecting corporation taxes

Emma Clark

As millions of ordinary people in Britain suffer from austerity imposed by the Tory government, big businesses are taking the easy way out.

The bedroom tax and tax credit cuts are forcing thousands onto the breadline. Yet Tory ministers took part in a series of 25 secret meetings with internet giant Google.

They have negotiated a minimal ‘sweetheart’ tax deal for the tax-avoiding advertiser. Google will pay just £130 million of backdated tax – of the estimated £2 billion it owes. This is not a luxury the Tories grant to the ordinary worker.

The truth is that the Tories have no interest in collecting the corporation tax owed by these firms. Their tax cuts could cost businesses nearly £8 billion less a year by 2017. This is enough to raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour – something the Treasury says it can’t afford.

Pockets

Much of that money will make its way into the pockets of Conservative politicians and donors. The chancellor’s own family firm, profit-making Osborne and Little, hasn’t paid a penny of corporation tax in seven years.

They even appointed former Tory MP and bankers’ lobbyist Angela Knight, a director of several ‘financial services’ companies, as an “independent” government tax adviser!

We need to nationalise companies taking advantage of the system. Criminalise the loopholes, and raise the tax rate on corporations and the super-rich. And we need to kick out the politicians helping them steal money from our jobs and public services.