Google claims Reuters tax article was ‘wilfully misleading’
Google has claimed that an article by Reuters about the search giant’s taxes is ‘wilfully misleading’, adding that it is willing to answer more questions if MPs wish to ask them.
Google insists that London-based employees do not make advertising sales to British clients and that they provide sales and marketing services to customers based in Ireland.
Peter Barron, director of external relations EMEA, Google said: "The Reuters article is wilfully misleading. As we told them in our statement, Matt Brittin clearly explained the roles of UK staff in hours of evidence to the Public Accounts Committee.
“He said: ‘if [customers] want to buy advertising from us they are encouraged to do so by our people in the UK - they will buy it from our expert team in Dublin... the people on the ground [in the UK] are helping people make the most of the web and the people in Ireland are helping to operate the systems and sell advertising to the businesses that want to work with us.’”
Barron added: "We were concerned to read this misleading piece suggesting we had misrepresented how we operate in the UK. We immediately contacted the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, and will be happy to appear again to set the record straight."
The Drum contacted Reuters for comment and is awaiting a response.