• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

Paris Police Raid Google’s Offices in $1.8 Billion Tax Investigation

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 24, 2016, 8:36 AM ET
Photograph by Getty Images

Parisian police have raided Google’s (GOOG) offices in the French capital, reportedly as part of an investigation into the company’s alleged tax evasion.

France is trying to get €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) in back taxes out of the company. As elsewhere in Europe, the authorities think Google owes a lot of money for having funnelled proceeds through its Irish subsidiary.

According to Le Parisien, the raid took place early this morning, with around 100 investigators taking part.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“We comply with the tax law in France as in every other country in which we operate,” Google said in a statement. “We are fully cooperating with the authorities in Paris to answer their questions, as always.”

The tax affair is not the only worry for Google in France at the moment. The French competition authority on Monday launched an inquiry into the exploitation of Internet users’ data in the online ad industry, in which Google is one of the major players, and the firm is also in a legal fight with the French privacy watchdog, CNIL, over its application of the so-called right to be forgotten.

For more on Google, watch our video.

Italy also wants $335 million in back taxes from Google, and is investigating the firm’s managers in the country.

In the U.K. Google got away with a back-tax payment of around $190 million that a parliamentary committee criticized as being “disproportionately small.” The European Commission, which is currently probing into the tax arrangements of Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN), may still look into that deal as well if someone makes a formal complaint.

In April, the Commission warned multinationals that they need to pay tax where they make their profits, and cut down on their aggressive avoidance schemes.

This article was updated to include Google’s statement when the company issued it.

About the Author
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Microsoft just turned 51. Here’s a look at an iconic 1978 photo of its first employees and where they are now
Big TechMicrosoft
Microsoft just turned 51. Here’s a look at an iconic 1978 photo of its first employees and where they are now
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 4, 2026
1 hour ago
alex
AIInfrastructure
AI’s next frontier is the real world
By Alex IsraelApril 4, 2026
3 hours ago
workers
AIdisruption
A Yale economist says AGI won’t automate most jobs—because they’re not worth the trouble
By Nick LichtenbergApril 4, 2026
5 hours ago
Artemis II’s moonbound astronauts capture Earth’s brilliant blue beauty as they travel more than 110,000 miles from home
InnovationNASA
Artemis II’s moonbound astronauts capture Earth’s brilliant blue beauty as they travel more than 110,000 miles from home
By Marcia Dunn and The Associated PressApril 3, 2026
14 hours ago
man silhouette two computer screens
CybersecurityOnline
Internet Watch Foundation finds 260-fold increase in AI-generated CSAM in just one year, and ‘it’s the tip of the iceberg’
By Catherina GioinoApril 3, 2026
15 hours ago
A woman working alone in an office
AIJobs
MIT created duplicate AI workers to tackle thousands of different tasks. The verdict? Most of the time AI is still just ‘minimally sufficient’
By Tristan BoveApril 3, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
Innovation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
2 days ago
The Walmart billionaires next door: Quiet backlash is brewing against the heirs who remade the retailer’s hometown
Magazine
The Walmart billionaires next door: Quiet backlash is brewing against the heirs who remade the retailer’s hometown
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of April 3, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 3, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
24 hours ago
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
Success
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Friday, April 3, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Friday, April 3, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
24 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.