Google fines $ 550 million in France for tax investigation



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On May 7, 2019, Google CEO Sundar Pichai will speak at the Google I / O conference at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images

Google has agreed to pay 500 million euros in France as part of an investigation for tax evasion.

French financial prosecutors opened an investigation into the tax transactions of the company four years ago. The investigators were interviewing the company to determine if it was avoiding taxes by failing to report the full extent of its activities in the country.

Google shares rose 1.4% on Thursday.

A spokesman for Google said the settlement puts an end to tax and related disputes that "have persisted for many years."

"The settlements include a payment of 500 million euros ordered today by a French court, as well as additional taxes of 465 million euros that we had agreed to pay and which have been widely reflected in our previous financial results, "said the spokesman. in a report. "We continue to believe that coordinated reform of the international tax system is the best way to provide a clear framework for companies operating around the world."

Google, Apple and other US technology giants have long enjoyed a loophole allowing them to report almost all of their sales in Ireland, offering businesses a lower tax rate. This often forces them to pay little tax in other European countries.

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