(Bloomberg) --
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he told Jeff Bezos that Amazon.com Inc. must pay its fair share of taxes in the U.K.
“When you sell many many billions worth of goods in the U.K. then you've got to expect to be taxed fairly in the U.K.,” Johnson told ITN Tuesday, following his meeting with Bezos a day earlier in New York. “We need a digital sales tax, a proper way of making sure that we're fairly taxing these enormous global businesses -- just as we tax high street shops.”
Amazon has been the target of efforts by countries seeking an overhaul of the international corporate tax system. Group of Seven finance ministers agreed a framework deal in June, with details expected to be finalized in time for the Group of 20 summit at the end of October. The aim is to ensure global companies pay taxes based on where they operate.
Asked by Channel 5 how Bezos responded, Johnson said: “He's a capitalist and he made the very important point that this is a job for governments. And tax isn't something that he's going to pay as an ex gratia act of kindness.”
“It's up to governments to come up with the right framework,” Johnson added.
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