The US Internet giant Google has to pay around € 1 billion in the tax dispute with France. This provides for an agreement with the government in Paris. Google had previously signed similar agreements with Great Britain and Italy.
Google pays the agreement, 465 billion euros in additional taxes to France. That was sealed in Paris in court. In addition, Google has accepted a fine of around $ 500 million. The tax authority had previously informed. This ends the four-year investigation. Google confirmed the agreement.
Google has been paying little tax in the European Union for years, thanks to legal loopholes. From next year, however, some tax benefits for Google should be eliminated.
According to the European Commission, digital companies such as Google and Facebook pay only half as much as conventional businesses in Europe. Reason is that they are often located in places that do not charge taxes or bundle their business in countries with favorable conditions.