Amazon pays £1.7 million in tax

[ScienceBoy]

I’ve been an amazon customer since about 2003 I think.

I hate going into town centres just to shop. High street is a busy expensive place, bus fare or parking fees plus food and drink expenses?

If I want to buy something I go on Amazon, if I want a day out, which is about once every 8-10 weeks, less in the winter, I will go into town.

I have no idea what the right tax amount is but shops on high streets really need to realise what they offer and sell the experience if they want to win vs Amazon.

Amazon don’t seem to be doing things in a different way to pretty much any other company in a similar situations. We all want to pay less tax and claim as many benefits as we can, why wouldn’t we?

I also think that something has to change, if you take an impartial objective you’re easy to see the imbalance. Sadly fixing it is very hard to do as tax laws move too slowly compared the world. They have changed but by the time they are in full effect the goalposts have shifted again.

 

[shortgame]

Better than adding nothing, I’ll leave that to you :thup:

So it's better to post gibberish than nothing. Gotchya :thup:

 

[MegaSteve]

Wonder what the love for Amazon will be like when they start moving around the kick off times for the PL games they've bought into...

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Pay the tax. Not hard. We all have to do it, most companies do it fair and square. Nothing big or clever about avoiding it. Spouting, it's legal is meaningless and mealy mouthed. If companies, cash tradesmen as well, stopped avoiding paying taxes then your average Joe would either have to pay less or the gov't would have more available.

Ian hislop quoted a great line about Apple on HIGNFY a little while ago. It is a firm of accountants that sell a bit of tech. You could make a similar statement about Amazon. Shameful.

 

[Foxholer]

...cash tradesmen as well, stopped avoiding paying taxes...

Now that (almost certainly) IS illegal!

Pay the tax. Not hard. We all have to do it, most companies do it fair and square....

And Amazon is doing it too!

They've simply granted their employees some )(seemingly quite significant) benefits in addition to their pay!

Btw. Anyone contributing to a pension is likely to be benefiting from the machinations of those companies that optimise their tax payments - because significant amounts of company shareholding is actually held by such pension funds! And that probably includes many of those decrying any tax reduction activity of the likes of Amazon! Does that make the hypocrites?

 

[Hobbit]

No law has been broken. Amazon have met the legal requirements to pay tax.Those that are saying otherwise should consider talking to the people that set the rules, not those that abide by them.

And as an aside, its favourable tax laws that attract foreign investment. You've only got to look at what Ireland have achieved by reducing Corporation Tax to a 'silly' level. By attracting companies to Ireland they have reduced the burden on the state, lifted Ireland out of recession, upset Brussels no end and increased the tax revenues through more people being in work. 12% of something is way better than 20% of nothing.

 

[MegaSteve]

So, these much vaunted shares/pensions...

Are the hard working contractors, in the warehouses, getting equal access to them?
In line with the box ticking desk jockeys in upper middle lower management...

 

[Hobbit]

So, these much vaunted shares/pensions...

Are the hard working contractors, in the warehouses, getting equal access to them?
In line with the box ticking desk jockeys in upper middle lower management...

Its a capitalist society. Different people in different jobs get paid differently. Alternatively, people can always go and live in Russia.

I've not looked at how Amazon are doing it but when BT did it in the 80's it was equal access, the only difference being someone on a higher wage might have had more money to spend on the shares at the preferential price offered.

 

[Foxholer]

So, these much vaunted shares/pensions...

Are the hard working contractors, in the warehouses, getting equal access to them?
In line with the box ticking desk jockeys in upper middle lower management...

Contractors have the opportunity to make their own choices, including contributing to a pension! That's part of the benefit of being a contractor!

Those contractors working at Amazon would not be entitled to the shares deal that Amazon provide their (presumably equally hard working) employees - simply because they are not employees of Amazon!

 

[MegaSteve]

Its a capitalist society. Different people in different jobs get paid differently. Alternatively, people can always go and live in Russia.

I've not looked at how Amazon are doing it but when BT did it in the 80's it was equal access, the only difference being someone on a higher wage might have had more money to spend on the shares at the preferential price offered.

In the totally biased world of capitalism I wouldn't expect equal amounts...
Just hoping for equal access which is what I asked...

And, why would anyone wish to live in the equally capitalist Russia...

 

[Foxholer]

In the totally biased world of capitalism I wouldn't expect equal amounts...
Just hoping for equal access which is what I asked...

It seems allocation is based on time working for the company. Apparently irrespective of 'rank'.

Quite a reasonable - and 'non-capitalistic' - way of doing it imo!

 

[IanM]

Pay the tax. Not hard. We all have to do it, most companies do it fair and square. Nothing big or clever about avoiding it.

Havent they done what we all do on tax returns? Claim what you are allow to claim for as laid out in the rules, then pay what's due. Or have they bent the rules?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Whilst not iilegal, ethically I dont like it.
Sadly our tax system is far to intricate and complex for our own Government to understand, whereas muli nationals like Amazon are able to get to grips with it and work it as they have the intelligent staff to do so.

 

[Val]

Amazon, Google, Starbucks etc, multi nationals who play the tax law to their advantage. Not their problem.

Is it any different to any of us on this board who take advantage of a salary sacrifice scheme which has tax and NI relief in an effort to boost our pensions?

 

[MegaSteve]

Amazon, Google, Starbucks etc, multi nationals who play the tax law to their advantage. Not their problem.

Is it any different to any of us on this board who take advantage of a salary sacrifice scheme which has tax and NI relief in an effort to boost our pensions?

Individuals, on PAYE, get fed scraps... Whilst 'big business' abuse the welfare state on an industrial scale...
The 'gig economy' needs reversing PDQ...

 

[Del_Boy]

What does Amazon get for the tax it pays each year - and can we put a value on it

 

[Foxholer]

Individuals, on PAYE, get fed scraps... Whilst 'big business' abuse the welfare state on an industrial scale...
The 'gig economy' needs reversing PDQ...

Hang on a bit!

This is 'big business' doing its bit for its employees, yet still you castigate them!

You should really be congratulating them!

 

[MegaSteve]

Hang on a bit!

This is 'big business' doing its bit for its employees, yet still you castigate them!

You should really be congratulating them!

Really? You're 'aving a giraffe...

Gig economy employers routinely use 'self-employed' staff so they can escape their obligations with regard pensions, sick/holiday pay etc etc…

And, you want them congratulated

 

[Foxholer]

Really? You're 'aving a giraffe...

Gig economy employers routinely use 'self-employed' staff so they can escape their obligations with regard pensions, sick/holiday pay etc etc…

And, you want them congratulated

Certainly for what they have done for their employees! Which is what this discussion is about!

 

[MegaSteve]

Certainly for what they have done for their employees! Which is what this discussion is about!

So, who is ultimately paying the wage of the good folk in the warehouses [contractors]?
Who'll be rocking up in corporate apparel at a time set by the employer obeying the rules set by the employer etc etc…

Yet the employer sets up a wall to deny these folk employees benefits/rights...

Fortunately a few of the smaller employers, that 'play dirty', have been taken to court and lost...

Hopefully Amazon [and all the others] will soon be seen in a similar position...


Funny, that nearly all these employers want us in [the EU] but want nothing to do with the employment laws/rules...