Google to Meet Lawmakers Over Unpaid Taxes

By The Moscow Times

July 24, 2013

Google representatives will meet government officials who are keen to discuss the company’s alleged failure to pay taxes in Russia, Federation Council member Ruslan Gattarov told Interfax Wednesday.

Having rejected a number of earlier requests to meet with the council’s Intellectual Property Commission, Google vice-president Carlo D’Azaro Biondo told the government about the company’s willingness to cooperate in a letter, and the meeting will take place Thursday, July 25.

The commission, which is headed by Gattarov, also plans to discuss projects for Google’s development in Russia and the protection of users’ personal information.

Gattarov said Google’s registration as a transnational organization has allowed it to avoid paying taxes, shifting the burden onto the company’s beneficiaries in Russia.

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