Google executive defends tax strategy to lawmakers

A senior Google executive defended his company's complicated structure before Britain's Parliament, denying charges that it was misleading authorities to dodge paying tax.

The U.S. Internet giant is accused that, even though it has drawn billions in revenue from Britain over the past few years, it pays less than 0.1 percent of that in tax to the British government.

Google executive Matt Brittin had a hard time convincing lawmakers Thursday that while U.K. employees were engaged in sales, they weren't actually selling anything and therefore the company was paying its fair share of British corporation tax. The company argues that the deals were completed by staff outside the U.K.

Lawmaker Margaret Hodge accused Google of unethical behavior, saying it was "deliberately manipulating the reality" of its business to dodge tax.

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