UK Tax payment

I appreciate Amazon has broken no UK law but I strongly suggest Amazon pays due tax take to the country in operates within. This is a way of giving back something to the UK customers and it is doing something now socially decent & worthwhile.
It should be the cost of doing business in each country within which Amazon operates

i agree they have massive profits we as customers keep supporting them so give us back in taxes some of the money we spend

I'm sure that what Amazon does is very tax effective but as both my husband and I pay PAYE I'm dismayed that that a company I trust and use alot is not paying their fair share. So come on Amazon lead the way in this area, just as you do in many other areas and your loyal customers will continue to enjoy using you rather than starting to shop elsewhere.

Shopping elsewhere is the final option depending on the Amazon response ... one we all must be prepared to take.

What's the Amazon tax situation, I'm unaware. Can someone fill me in?

I found out myself. If anyone else is unaware £7.6 bn profit and no corporation tax paid at all as the company is now based in Luxembourg. This is a disgrace. I suggest we all stop using Amazon until they play fair and pay tax like the rest of us.

will amazon put up their prices if they have to pay corporation tax, that is the question...

Amazon prices have put many High Street shops out of business ... That's competition and it has helped consumers to get lower prices. But the shops they helped put out of business were paying their taxes, so why not Amazon?
I for one am now very uncomfortable with the UK Amazon tax policy.
Shame on them!

Amazon's not the only company doing this! It's not illegal and people should stop blaming the companies that do it. Morally yes it's wrong but how many of you would do the same if you could? If anyone's to blame it's the government. So instead of everyone venting on amazon lobby your local MP's.

Agreed it is quite legal but not necessarily socially acceptable in these austere times. It is all too easy to blame the government.

Agreed, the tax issue will remain the same until the Government sort it. I try not to blame the Government for everything but where tax is concerned it's their responsibility. Having said that businesses as a whole will always try to mitigate their tax.

The only reason most people on here wish Amazon to pay their taxes (which they're doing according to the law) is because they like using Amazon so much. Are these same people writing to their MPs asking them to repay all of those immorally claimed expenses? I doubt it.

A company's aim is to make money, to ask them to willingly 'donate' money to this country is then ridiculous. Arguments that they have put High Street shops out of business is also a poor one, these shops themselves are multi-million/-billion pound companies which just couldn't compete, not small family owned businesses.

To those that are suggesting that we all stop using Amazon, I'd suggest that you do. You can buy your good from hiigher priced, less reliable outlets. I on the other hand am glad that Amazon is paying little in tax, if they weren't their prices would rise to offset this. In effect, WE would be paying this tax. Are you happy with the way this government spend our your money?

So shoot yourself in the foot if you must, but leave my feet alone.

I agree with this post. Come on Amazon, play fair!

Amazon is one of many multinational companies that are avoiding the payment of tax full stop. The idea put forward by some that this means we get cheaper goods fails as we all have to pay higher taxes in order to cover the shortfall. These companies love supplying into stable countries which have minimal levels of corruption but are unwilling to contribute to the cost of running them. Laws should be introduced that require these companies to pay corporation tax in the countries where they are selling the goods.

It may not seem like a fair playing field for High street shops, but has happened to energy companies and many industries.
Their UK employees pay tax, they pay the post office to deliver goods, they use UK fuel to distribute stock and we all pay VAT on items we buy.
So we are getting something back i guess?

Amazon have saved on taxes which has in turn given us the low prices we all demand from online shops. These people complaining about amazon not paying their fair share will be the first to complain if amazon are forced to pay tax and bring their prices back up to the same as every other trader. I for one am happier to be saving on what I buy. it's their money, they're not breaking the law, and I wouldn't pay tax if i could avoid it! good enough for them finding a gap they can use to their advantage. and shame on the government for allowing there to be that gap.

"Amazon.co.uk, Britain's biggest online retailer, generated sales of more than £3.3bn in the country [UK] last year but paid no corporation tax on any of the profits from that income - and is under investigation by the UK tax authorities."

If the Companies like Amazon are dogging tax that mean we all have to pick up the bill or cut services. Amazon enjoys the UK's Infrastructure put is putting nothing in is that called a parasite?

Somalia has not tax of any kind; maybe Amazon should relocate their head office there and enjoy that countries infrastructure?

I pay VAT on everything I buy here. How much should I give the Exchequer? 50%? Do they spend it on anything other than bankers' bonuses?

if a company makes 20% profit, and laws change which mean it owes £x which means it now makes 17% profit, its shareholders will still demand 20%. therefore all prices go up to make up the shortfall. this money that they technically dont even owe that people read about in the guardian (that also is at the old tax 'saving' but it still judges other companies) doesnt exist in a magic pot, its the customers that ultimately end up paying for it, so ultimately you are asking for a tax rise because you have too much money?.

(made up figures for simplicity)

I should imagine they would pull up their prices, but if they have a .co.UK url then why aren't they made to pay tax when clearly a domain name with a country identifier attracts customers from said country? Once other more fair options open up, I shall be switching..

[Deleted by the author on 27 Oct 2012 12:00:37 BDT]

Here we go again,the rich get richer and the working class pay!!!!!
Can't believe that examples of Hugh corporations like Amazon and the like can get away with this sort of behaviour.if the government spent more time closing these now obvious loop holes the public sector would not have to suffer all the cuts that have been seen.
I work in the private sector so I am not sticking up for the public sector but I suppose we all need there services

We're not shooting ourselves in the foot. Who pays the taxes to make up for what Amazon avoids?

You are of course paying to make up the tax which they are avoiding. When they have a sufficient monopoly they won't keep the prices low anyway.

the only way to avoid this type of problem is to equalise VAT rates across the EU. Which country is the main one against doing it?
The UK of course.