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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Business
Hazel Sheffield

Jeremy Corbyn asks David Cameron if ordinary people can pay the same rate of tax as Google

Jeremy Corbyn has asked David Cameron if ordinary people can pay the same rate of tax as Google.

Corbyn, leader of the opposition, opened Prime Minister's Questions with a request from Geoff, a working man over the age of 30.

"Geoff speaks for millions of people when he says to me, 'Is there a scheme that I can join that has the same rate of tax as Google?'" Corbyn said.

Cameron answered: “What I would say to Geoff is that his taxes are going down under this Government and Google’s taxes are going up under this Government."

Cameron said Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are to blame for Google's low rate of tax, not him. Corbyn reminded Cameron that he is the Prime Minister currently responsible for addressing taxes.

Corbyn opened PMQs with four questions on tax following revelations that Google will pay just £130 million to HMRC in so-called "back-taxes" that have been due since 2005. 

Chancellor George Osborne initially hailed the deal as a "major success", but the Government has since backpeddled on these claims. 

Corbyn said that millions of people filling in their tax returns before the January 31 do not have the option of 25 meetings with 17 ministers to decide on a rate of tax. 

"Many people will say this: 'Why is there one rule for big multinational companies and another for ordinary self-employed people and small businesses?'" Corbyn said. 

Earlier on Wednesday, European MEPs called for Osborne to appear in front of the Special European Parliamentary Committee on Tax Rulings to explain the Google tax deal. 

Eva Joly, vice chair of the committee, said the deal made it look like Osborne was trying to advertise the UK as a tax haven.

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