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GOOGLE’S IRISH ARM handed over €28.6 million in corporate taxes on turnover of €18.3 billion last year.
Accounts just filed for Google Ireland Limited, through which the US search giant channelled about a third of its $66 billion in global revenue for 2014, showed the company delivered a net profit of €167.9 million for the 12 months.
Both the profit and revenue figures were around 8% up on the previous year, while direct employment at the company increased 17% to an average 2,763 staff over the 12 months.
Of its total headcount in Ireland, about two-thirds worked in sales and marketing, with about 12% employed in engineering and company operations.
Google Ireland head Ronan Harris said the Dublin office was the company’s largest outside the US with more than 5,000 employees including contracted staff. The company would continue investing in Ireland this year, he added.
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The Foundry at Google's Irish offices Laura Hutton / RollingNews.ie
Laura Hutton / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie
Offshore accounts
Google Ireland’s accounts also showed some €12.5 billion from the revenues it booked in the Republic were siphoned off in administrative expenses, which included royalties paid to its own offshore companies.
Google, like many other multinationals with operations in Ireland, has been criticised for using a web of international subsidiaries to route its global profits to tax havens.
While legal, the complex structures mean companies can avoid paying taxes on all but a fraction of the amounts they earn outside their home territories.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Google's offices Laura Hutton / RollingNews.ie
Laura Hutton / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie
Both the iPhone maker and Ireland are expected to be hit with negative findings from an ongoing European Commission investigation over an alleged sweetheart tax deal between the two.
EU officials claim the Irish government traded preferential treatment for jobs in agreements dating back more than 20 years. Apple could be forced to cough up billions in unpaid taxes, although the current government has said no illegal state aid was granted and it will fight any adverse findings.
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Iron dome???? You lousy feckers, do you call that reporting, you are as bad as RTE. There is a massacre going on in Gaza (a prison, the biggest one) being carried out by an Occupier (Israel) using the newest and most advanced weapons available (paid for and sent by Uncle Sam $$$). There’s your report, get a real job!
Journal?? I’ll be back to you tomorrow with the amount of number of stories you’s did about Garth brooks over the last few weeks….. I need to count back
The US Commerce Secretary says Ireland runs a 'tax scam'. Does he have a point?
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