After
imposing taxes forcing online gambling firms overseas, the UK government is now
planning to lure them back with tax breaks, according to multiple published
reports.
Seven
years ago, a number of UK online gambling companies moved their operations abroad
to tax havens such as Malta, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands to avoid a 15
percent tax imposed on all online gambling services in the UK.
However,
according to recent reports from newspapers and Web gaming providers, the
Treasury could be ready to slash this tax to encourage online gambling
companies back into the UK. It’s estimated that the current tax system has lost
£2.1 billion in revenue over the past seven years.
Although
the percentage at which the government will reduce the tax is not yet known,
theMailreported that
it could be as much as a third. According to a report from JackpotCity Casino,
a popular online gaming site, a reduction of 5 percent would save the 20
biggest offshore gaming companies £100 million in tax every year. But many
online gaming companies that currently work out of tax havens will be loath to
pay the tax even at a reduced rate of 10percent, the report predicted. However,
for some, the deal might be enough of a sweetener to bring them back to the UK
and benefit from greater regulation and industry support.
By
moving back under the control of the UK Gambling Commission, consumers new to online
gaming will feel more inclined to give it a try, knowing it is thoroughly and tightly
controlled and regulated by the Gambling Commission, which can bring charges against
companies in breach of the rules, JackpotCity Casino added.
According to figures from the UK Gambling Commission, online gambling
earned £20.1 billion between April 2011 and March 2012 and online gambling is
growing at a rate of 15 percent annually throughout the European Union (EU).
UK considers tax concession for online gaming companies
March 14, 2013
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