Google off the hook for $1.3 billion tax bill in France

From CNET: Google won a major victory in one of its many court battles when a Paris court dismissed a €1.11 billion ($1.27 billion) tax bill levied against the tech giant.

Paris' administrative tribunal ruled Wednesday that Google's advertising business doesn't have a taxable presence in France, absolving it of responsibility for five years of back taxes for a period ending in 2010. The tax authority had accused Google of routing ad sales in the country through its Irish-based subsidiary.

Google said in a statement the ruling "has confirmed Google abides by French tax law and international standards," adding, "We remain committed to France and the growth of its digital economy."

The ruling is a victory amid a series of legal challenges Google has faced across Europe on concerns including taxes, competition and privacy.

Last month, the European Union slapped Google with a 2.42 billion euro ($2.72 billion) fine for favoring its own shopping services in its search results over those of rivals. The fine is the biggest antitrust penalty the EU has ever applied to a single company, exceeding the $1 billion fine handed to Intel in 2009.

View: Article @ Source Site