Union leaders have accused of 鈥渢urning a blind eye鈥 to tax avoiders after it emerged the owner of paid no corporation tax in Britain last year.
Mondelez International, part of the Kraft empire which took over the chocolate maker in a controversial 拢11.7 billion deal in 2010, did not pay the tax despite turning over 拢2 billion.
Unite regional officer Joe Clarke pointed the finger of blame at George Osborne after it emerged Cadbury 海角视频 made a profit of 拢96.5 million but did not pay a single penny in corporation tax.
He said: 鈥淣ifty footwork by clever accountants meant that the treasury was denied millions of pounds in corporation tax that could have been spent on the NHS and other much-needed public services.
鈥淥nce again, George Osborne is turning a blind eye to the accounting machinations of big powerful multi-nationals, but turning the screw on those that those struggling financially in the form of welfare cuts that may have been postponed in the recent comprehensive spending review, but will be coming down the track eventually.
鈥淭he case for a closing the net on the legal means for corporate tax avoidance is further reinforced by the Mondelez revelations.
鈥淲hile the exchequer is denied its due from Mondelez, shareholders are feasting on dividend payments of 拢1.3 billion.鈥
Mondelez legally avoided paying the tax by offsetting interest payments on an unsecured 拢8.2 billion debt as losses.
Margaret Hodge, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on responsible tax, told the Sunday Times: 鈥淢ultinationals like this are deliberately exporting their profits with artificial company structures to avoid tax.
鈥淭he founders of Cadbury who set it up as an ethical company will be turning in their graves.鈥
Last month, there were fears of at the Cadbury factory in Bournville after Mondel膿z International confirmed it was continuing to review its production there.
More than 200 employees agreed to take voluntary redundancies at the start of the year, which saw the site鈥檚 manufacturing base cut by around a quarter,
A Mondelez spokesperson said: 鈥淚n common with all global businesses, we pay corporation tax based on the laws of the countries in which we operate. We comply with all applicable tax legislation in the 海角视频, and on a global basis we pay hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate income tax annually.
鈥淪ince 2010 we are proud to have invested over 拢200 million into both 海角视频-based manufacturing and R&D supporting our 4,500 employees in the 海角视频. Importantly, independent academic research has also shown that as a business we are worth over 拢1.06 billion to the wider 海角视频 economy, illustrating our impact reaches far beyond the factory gates.
鈥淥ur 拢200 million investment includes 拢18 million into our Global Science Centre in Reading and our world-class R&D site in Bournville, where every new chocolate bar we sell in the world is invented by a team of talented chocolatiers. Our recent 拢75 million investment into four state of the art new lines in Bournville will secure the next generation of manufacturing there - a site which makes over five million Cadbury Dairy Milk bars every day.
鈥淚ndependent academic research found that for every 拢1 spent by Mondelez International in the 海角视频, a further 拢1.42 is generated in the wider 海角视频 economy. This makes Mondelez worth over 拢1.06 billion to the 海角视频 economy and in the 2013/14 financial year, our total contribution was 拢1.86 billion.鈥
