French tax police raid Google’s Paris office
French police have raided Google's Paris office as part of an investigation into the company's tax affairs.
The raid began at 5 a.m. Tuesday, Paris time, according to local newspaper Le Parisien. It involved five public prosecutors, 25 computer experts and investigators from the French tax office and the Central Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Financial and Tax Crimes, the public prosecutors' office told local media.
French prosecutors began investigating Google's finances last June, following allegations from the tax authorities that the company was involved in serious tax fraud.
Google channels much of its European advertising sales through its Irish subsidiary, Google Ireland, profiting from low tax rates there. Tax officials in other European countries are concerned about the resulting loss in tax revenue.
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