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Google has agreed to pay a fine of nearly $ 550 million to settle an investigation in France on its tax practices, Reuters reports.
The company's European office is based in Dublin, Ireland and, like other companies, enjoys tax benefits. The French authorities had investigated whether Google had failed to report all its taxable work in France.
In addition to paying 500 million euros, a spokesman for Google said the company would also pay 465 million euros (about 515,000 USD) in tax payments.
"We have now settled tax and related disputes in France that have persisted for many years," said a spokesman for Google in a statement. "The regulations include a payment of 500 million euros which was ordered today by a French court, as well as additional taxes of 465 million euros that we had agreed to pay, and which were largely reflected in our previous financial results. 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. "
The fine is small for a revenue giant, like Google, although it follows another fine recently imposed by the US Federal Trade Commission. Earlier this month, the FTC announced that Google would be fined $ 170 million on charges that YouTube violated the law protecting children's digital data.
The European Union, however, remains perceived as adopting the most aggressive regulatory position with regard to the technology sector. France, in particular, adopted a law in the summer directly increasing the payment of taxes for online platforms. The legislation, which would affect big companies like Facebook and Google, quickly triggered criticism from US trade officials.
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