ZCZC
BCN-23
AUSTRALIA-TAXATION-TRADE-GOOGLE
Google settles US$327 million tax bill in Australia
SYDNEY, Dec 18, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Google agreed to pay Australian tax
authorities Aus$482 million (US$327 million) to settle a long-running dispute
over the tech giant’s multibillion-dollar business in the country, officials
announced Wednesday.
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) said the payment covered taxes owed for
2008-2018, and brought to Aus$1.25 billion the amount recovered from global
e-commerce titans including Microsoft, Apple and Facebook.
“This settlement is another great outcome for the Australian tax system,”
said Deputy Commissioner Mark Konza, who has spearheaded the ATO’s Tax
Avoidance Taskforce.
“It adds to the significant success of the ATO in positively changing the
behaviour of digital taxpayers and significantly increasing the tax they pay
in Australia,” he added.
The ATO launched its crackdown on multinational companies’ accounting
practices in 2016 with the adoption of an anti-tax avoidance law and the
launch of the taskforce.
Konza said on Wednesday that the ATO’s operation would be extended until
2023 to ensure multinational digital players continue to pay taxes on sales
revenue from Australian customers.
BSS/AFP/HR/1315