A number of you have written to me with a campaign
email “Make Amazon pay their fair share.”
A recent petition on this matter has received
widespread support and I think most people can see why – it is only right that
profits generated in the UK should be taxed appropriately.
Technology giants will be forced to pay tax on the
sales they generate in the UK, under new plans announced in the Budget.
Chancellor Philip Hammond made it clear in the last
budget that he plans to introduce a digital services tax from April 2020.
There will be a consultation period. He commented that the EU had been
"painfully slow" in making progress on this and so once we leave the
EU we can make progress on this tax reform.
The Chancellor is on record as saying, "It is
clearly not sustainable or fair that digital platform businesses can generate
substantial value in the UK without paying tax here." I agree.
Many of us now enjoy the convenience of running
much of our lives from online sources and facilities and whilst the internet is
here to stay and the likely uptake of web reliance will continue it is only
right that our tax laws be updated to take into account the rapid changes
taking place.
