Google Loses Appeal Over French Tax Raid

The strapped government wants to squeeze the successful company for more than a billion dollars

PARIS — A Paris appeals court has rejected a request by Internet search giant Google to invalidate the search and seizure of documents by French tax authorities, according to a copy of the decision obtained by AFP on Friday.

The court rejected Google's arguments against the 2012 tax raid and ordered the US company to cover legal expenses for the appeal.

According to news weekly Canard Enchaine, French tax authorities have made a billion-euro ($1.3 billion) claim against Google over financial transfers between Google's Irish holding company and its French unit for four tax years.

Google France told AFP this week that it had received no such tax claim, and that it complies with tax laws in all the countries in which it operates.