Googled

 

Google's £130m UK tax settlement was not exactly a glorious moment for the Government. The UK tax authorities agreement with Google has fuelled a sense of injustice that big businesses receive preferential treatment.

 

However, you would be forgiven for thinking differently if you believed the spin from Chancellor George Osborne who called the settlement a "major success". Well if it was such a success of major proportions, why not release details of how Google and HMRC came to such an agreement? Pretty simple really and impressively transparent. I’ll not hold my breath.

 

What annoys me even more is that France are going after Google for unpaid tax to the tune of £1.3 billion. Now that would be a “major success”. Especially when you consider Google sales in France are lower than in the UK. Do the French really have more balls on this subject than the UK? Do they really have a greater sense of injustice than the UK? Or is it simply more poor leadership at the very top of the political system allowing too many to get away with so much?

 

I’d love to think that valuable lessons have been learnt. The reality may be far different though.