More Corporate tax dodging

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Chris

I watched the latest episode on the iplayer yesterday while washing up after breakfast ... I nearly dropped my plates more than once, it was hysterical. Can't wait for the next one. Way to go!

I'm sure in your time as a journalist, as I have in my time in radio, you have come across many characters like those in that show, in particular the 'Head of Brand'

Apparently it makes a lot of people involved in the Olympics organisations a bit uncomfortable as many scenes touch raw nerves

I agree, it is hilarious. But if anyone thinks there can be a major sporting event without tax dodging or questionable financial transactions (the FIFA presidency voting system?) they could not be more wrong.

[Chris]

I did come across one or two PR plonkers in my time but it was my next job working for a well known international hospitality company where at one time or another I think I must have met every single one of the archetypes they send up in Twenty Twelve.

Honestly, large companies have an endless capacity for spending huge amounts of money on people who do very little. It's amazing anything ever gets done, anywhere.

[Maggy J]

38 Degrees have emailed me.

Thanks for signing the petition calling on companies like McDonald’s to give up their Olympic tax break. [1] Moments after it launched, the rattled McDonald's PR team were on the phone. [1] Minutes later they publicly confirmed they wouldn’t be taking up the tax dodge. [2]

However I cannot find info anywhere that supports this statement.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

38 Degrees have emailed me.



However I cannot find info anywhere that supports this statement.

The following link is on the 38 degrees website.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Ab...Exemption.html

Clarification on Olympic Tax Exemption
11 July 2011

McDonald’s has 2,000 employees who will be working at the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. All of these employees are UK nationals, apart from the 100 international employees who will be paid by their respective home nations.
Whilst we are unable to provide turnover figures, we can confirm that the revenue from the Games will be less than 0.1% of McDonald’s UK annual sales.

We will not be making any corporate income tax exemption claim with respect to any activity concerning our involvement with the London Olympic and Paralympic Games

Our significant investment in London 2012 which includes building four temporary restaurants and utilising our extensive UK Supply Chain means that a substantial amount of that investment is with UK companies

[joglynne]

... and a further update received to-day from 38 degrees.

Another win for people power! Yesterday, a worried-sounding man from Coca-Cola called the 38 Degrees office to say they wouldn’t be using the Olympic tax dodge. [1]

But it didn’t stop there. Later in the day, VISA, General Electric and EDF all confirmed that they were out too. [2] That’s five big companies down - and nine to go.

The bigger our petition has grown, the more companies have hurriedly announced they won’t be dodging the tax. Can you help this campaign go all the way by sending the petition past 200,000 signatures?

Please sign the petition now to make sure the sponsors pay their fair share:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page...01-10#petition