The Internet giants pay more in Spain, but far from their income

The technological giants have considerably increased ir tax payment in Spain, thus responding to pressure that has been exerting Treasury in recent years towards se multinationals that divert most of ir income to or companies in Ireland or Luxembourg, where tax treatment is much more favorable. Firms like Google or Apple have tripled pay for corporate tax and ors like Amazon or Twitter have increased notably. But it is not a make-up-until legal moment-since se monsters of Internet continue to declare a minimum part of real income that y obtain in Spain.

The tax agency has under inspection most of liquidations of recent years, and in some cases like Apple or Amazon, companies have decided to pay claim of minutes or waive outstanding tax credits. However, laxity with which Spanish treasury treats se multinationals contrasts with hardness with which or countries such as UK or Germany have decided to apply to se companies.

The one that is most rigorously applying is European Commission itself, pressuring EU countries exercising tax havens so that se US multinationals will considerably reduce ir taxation bill in rest of Union states. Brussels announced last October 4 that it would oblige Luxembourg to recover 250 million of euros in taxes that Amazon did not pay for having benefited from a tax system contrary to free market. On same day, European Commission declared that it was going to denounce Ireland to European Court of Justice (CJEU) for not recovering 13 billion euros that Apple stopped paying in taxes for illegal tax benefits of which benefited in this P Country.

At moment, annual accounts of Spanish subsidiaries begin to reflect even with lukewarmness that greater fiscal awareness of technological and Internet leaders. Although motives are different according to cases. The Spanish subsidiary of Google paid 6,480,000 euros for corporate tax in 2016, three times more than in previous year in which disbursed 2.2 million. This increase reflects increase in earnings to 19,470,000, almost four times more than in previous year, and to a lesser extent income, which increased by 38.5% to 92.3 million.

A group of dlientes in Apple store in Madrid. Apple

Apple Spain tripled tax payment on 2016

Despite this, tax agency suspects that Spanish subsidiary diverts much of its income to Ireland to avoid paying taxes. In June last year, a team of finance officials appeared at two sites that Spanish subsidiary of technological giant has in Spain in search of evidence that show tax fraud.

Apple also tripled payment of tax on profits in 2016, when disbursed 11.7 million euros compared to 3.3 million that paid in previous year. But in case of iPhone manufacturer is due to a change of fiscal policy, since payment for tax corresponding to profits of 2016 rose to 3.3 million, while or 3.8 million correspond to recognition of payments for tax of years before Riores and waiver of 4.3 million of a tax credit.

This disbursement has not served Spanish subsidiary to catch up with tax agency, as proof that Apple retail Spain, company that manages stores, has provisioned anor 9 million euros to possibility that inspections of exercises Pending penalties.

Fine paid by Amazon

The Amazon group in Spain, which brings toger four subsidiaries of trade giant in Spain, declared a profit of 3.4 million euros on a turnover slightly higher than 100 million, but paid 2.9 million in corporate tax in 2016, more than 10 times than a year before.

Recreation of future Amazon Logistic Center in Illescas. Amazon

Amazon has accepted payment of a fine of 2.2 million

Although most important fact is acceptance by its largest subsidiary, Amazon Spain Services, dedicated to general services of group, of payment of 2.2 million euros to Treasury after signing minutes of conformity of inspections carried out by agency Tax on tax settlements of 2010 and 2011.

However, real drawing of both income and benefits and taxes that Amazon should pay is almost impossible to realize because real business in Spain is managed by Amazon EU, based in Luxembourg, company cover that has raised ire of Brussels. To get an idea of this diversion, it is estimated that volume of business of Amazon in European countries that depend on its Luxembourg company exceeds 20 billion annual, so that turnover in Spain must be far superior to those 100 million of euros Declared.

According to Amazon, its profit is maintained under "intense and continued investment plan" and because retail distribution business is "very competitive" and has "very tight margins".

Social networks and collaborative economy also flee Treasury

Neir social networks nor so-called companies of collaborative economy are lavish when it comes to complying with Treasury. Twitter Spain continues to juntillas standard model of income and tax deviation that monsters of American Internet business use to avoid taxation of countries where y operate. Its Spanish subsidiary barely registers revenues because it is only commissioned by services it provides, as bulk of business falls on Twitter International Company, with fiscal headquarters in Dublin.

The Social network billed officially in Spain 5.3 million euros in 2016, with a net profit of 290,548 euros for which paid to finance 112,230 euros, slightly above previous year.

Its rival Facebook has not yet presented accounts of 2016 in Mercantile register but its data are very similar: in 2015, it won 287,135 euros and paid to Spanish Hacienda 114,010 euros.

On or hand, online rental platform of flats Airbnb paid 55,211 euros in 2016 by companies and car rental company with driver Cabify not even paid a euro to Hacienda in past year, because it declared losses.