Amazon under fire over German taxes

Amazon’s main German arm paid income tax of just €3 million (£2.6m) in 2012 after the group channelled sales to German customers of $8.7 billion (£5.8bn) via Luxembourg units, prompting one lawmaker to call for an investigation of the company.

Accounts for Amazon.de GmbH filed with Germany’s companies register show that the company reported profit of just €10m for 2012, which was taxed at the headline German rate of 30 per cent.

Amazon has been criticised in other countries, including the UK, for its low tax bills.