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Ideological Affiliate of India’s BJP Asks Gov’t to Probe Tax Evasion by Uber, Microsoft, Google

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New Delhi (Sputnik): Several US-based global tech firms like Google, Facebook, and the transportation network Uber are under the scanner of India’s tax authorities for alleged evasion of taxes on revenues generated in India.

An ideological affiliate of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now come out and demanded that the federal Finance Ministry investigate the potential underreporting of their income from operations in India.

Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), or Forum for National Self-Reliance, an affiliate of Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has asked federal Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to “investigate e-commerce platforms, UBER, Microsoft, Google and others for underreporting their incomes and escaping taxes”.

​These global operators are required to pay a withholding tax or equalisation levy worth 6% of their advertising revenues in India. The suggestion to tax digital economy transactions were introduced in the budget proposals in 2016. It is aimed at taxing business-to-business e-commerce companies within India.

SJM has been campaigning against several economic decisions of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, like plans to raise $10 billion in overseas sovereign bonds, foreign firms like Chinese telecom major Huawei in the strategic telecom sector, etc.

“India must recognise the full extent of the national and economic security threat posed by foreign and especially Chinese equipment in India's ICT (information and communication technology) networks”, said Ashwani Mahajan.

The outfit has also been critical of the demonetisation policy of the Modi government and believes that it was aimed at helping rich people.

“While partial demonetisation always takes place, the problem this time was the sudden withdrawal of 86 percent or Rs 16 lakh crore worth cash from the system. The 500-Euro-notes were demonetised but it remains a legal tender till it is in circulation. The Indian case is aimed at the supposed super rich but it hit the marginalised and the vocal middle class the most”, says a write-up on the website of the organisation.

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