最近，幾大科技巨頭似乎相當默契地和稅收問題杠上了。微軟剛對跨國避稅事件做出澄清，英國政府又準備以“谷歌稅”(Google Tax)的名義對眾多科技企業下手。

UK Treasury chief George Osborne has introduced a new 25% tax on foreign companies’ profits derived from economic activity in the UK. He singled out tech companies as particular abusers of the system. Though he didn’t name names, the British press quickly dubbed the measure the “Google tax”.

日前，英國財政大臣喬治?奧斯本推出一項針對外國公司的新稅，即在英國開展經濟活動所得利潤要被課以25%的稅。奧斯本專門提到，科技公司在濫用稅收制度方面尤其嚴重。雖然他沒有指名道姓，但英國媒體很快就將這一舉措戲稱為“谷歌稅”。

The proposal, which would take effect April 1, 2015, at a time when the European Union and individual member states have been pressuring large US companies to pay more taxes. Backed by the Conservative majority, the measures would likely be passed easily by the House of Commons.

這一提案將于明年4月1日起生效。發起這一提案的背景是，歐盟與其成員國不斷向美國大公司施壓，要求它們繳納更多稅款。由于得到議會多數黨保守黨的支持，這一提案可能會輕易獲得下議院通過。

（中國日報網英語點津 丁一）