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Boris Johnson said Jeff Bezos told him that making sure Amazon pays fair tax levels is a job for governments.
The Prime Minister said he urged the boss of the online giant to ensure that a fair share is paid in the UK, but agreed that he will not pay tax as “an act of kindness”.
Mr Johnson had climate-focused talks with Mr Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, on Monday in New York, where the Prime Minister attended the United Nations General Assembly.
“What I told him was that we in the UK believe that the internet giants should make their fair share of tax dollars,” Mr Johnson told ITN.
“When you sell multibillion dollar goods in the UK you should expect to be taxed fairly in the UK. “
Asked about Mr Bezos’ response, the prime minister told Channel 5 News: “He is a capitalist and he made the very important point that this is a job for governments.
“And tax isn’t something he’s going to pay as an ex gratia act of kindness. It is up to governments to find the right framework.
Mr Johnson said Amazon boss ‘must operate within the business framework, within the laws’ in place when asked if he feels Mr Bezos accepts he is paying too much few taxes.
Amazon UK sales soared 51% to nearly £ 20 billion last year, supported by the coronavirus lockdown
restrictions.
Despite the boom, estimates indicate that Amazon has a tax-to-revenue ratio of just 0.37%.
