Guardian Australia boss McClelland: We’ll be paying our full share of Australian taxes
McClelland: We should pay tax in Australia
The British-owned Guardian has eschewed the tax-minimisation tactics of US media brands such as Netflix and Google and is running its new Australian operations as a fully taxable local company, its boss has said.
Managing director Ian McClelland was asked about the issue at a press briefing to mark the opening of the Guardian’s new Sydney offices. The Guardian launched in Australia in May 2013. It has now outgrown its original business plan, leading to the move to bigger headquarters in Sydney’s Surry Hills.
Asked about the taxation issue, McClelland said the company, while owned by Guardian Media Group in the UK and ultimately by the not-for-profit Scott Trust, is fully taxed and registered in Australia, and has been from launch.
Kudos to them. Hopefully it will engender some support towards the publication. Shame that the companies that can truly afford their real tax bill engage in tax minimisation. Perhaps the govt needs to pitch Google.org as a charitable endeavour, and ask for money to fix the budget.
Thanks Tim, just confirming that 84% of our editorial staff on Guardian Australia are Aussies, the rest are secondees from the UK sent down to help shape the editorial voice for the Guardian here in Australia.
Are Australian contributors writing about Australian topics for The Guardian Australia still “technically” commissioned by The Guardian in London – meaning those contributors are not able to charge GST?
I think that they’ve done pretty well since coming online here. It’s never been more important to have local alternative views readily available. Their readers’ comments system is also easy to contribute to and is often informative.
The UK has a “Google Tax” coming in from April, why doesn’t Australia follow suit? We’ve heard the chit chat, let’s see some action:
http://m.bbc.com/news/business-31942639
Mmmmmm: writers for Guardian Australia & Comment is Free Australia are commissioned and paid in Australia, with their pieces edited by Sydney staff. An Australian commissioned and edited by Guardian UK or Guardian America would still be paid in GBP or USD without GST due.