Amazon accused of working UK tax systemOctober 22, 2012 - 16:46 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Online bookseller Amazon has been accused of working the UK tax system and charging publishers 20 percent VAT on digital books while actually paying only three percent. According to The Inquirer, an investigation by the Guardian newspaper has unearthed a contract that says that Amazon starts negotiations with publishers with the requirement that 20 percent is knocked off the cost to make up for UK VAT. The Guardian says that this is despite the fact that Amazon is based in Luxembourg, and as a result, will only pay three per cent VAT. This means that it will pay publishers not very much for their content, while charging what it wants and making a decent whack of cash. Amazon didn't deny the accusations, but did sort of defend itself while ignoring the issue. "Our goal is to make it easy for readers to discover and read the books they love by expanding access to millions of books in both digital and print. We've been able to do this by focusing on innovation, as exemplified by Kindle, and by offering customers the widest selection at the best possible prices and service," it said in a statement. "This innovation and service have not only benefited readers, but authors, too - as just one example, Kindle Direct Publishing, our self-publishing platform, has fundamentally transformed global distribution and royalties for authors in the UK." Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |