Microsoft, Google Shacked Up Together In Dublin?
from the mighty-cozy dept
theodp writes “They say politics make for strange bedfellows, but so too do taxes. Do some Irish Company Searches and you may be surprised to find that Google Ireland Holdings Limited and Round Island One Limited, tax-ducking Irish subsidiaries of less-than-friendly Google and Microsoft sport the same Dublin address. Looks like Corporate Tax Day’s getting to be just like St. Patrick’s Day – everyone’s Irish!” Theodp has kept us up-to-date on Google and Microsoft’s Irish tax dodging ways before, and while he likes to go out of his way sometimes to make these and other companies look bad, the address being used in this case is simply that of a law firm that both companies probably used to set up their Irish subsidiaries. There can be plenty of reasons why the firms would use the law firm’s address — though, it does raise some questions about how much business these companies really are doing in Ireland. Still, Theodp conveniently left out the fact that both firms also have other Irish subsidiaries at different addresses as well, making the whole thing sound a bit more sinister than it really might be.
Comments on “Microsoft, Google Shacked Up Together In Dublin?”
Duh!
In Ireland, as in the UK, a comapny is required by law to have a registered office. That is simply an address where documents can be served. It is not indicative in any way of where the actual trading operations take place.
If you look at the Companies House registry in England, Scotland or Ireland, you’ll find many companies use their lawyers or accountants as the registered office. About the only stuff that goes there is blurb from Companies House or the tax authorities. There is nothing sinister or unusual in this arrangement.
Re: Duh!
Good spot! This story is looks like a bummer Mike.