AstraZenca accused of tax-dodging 

AstraZeneca accused of employing aggressive tax-avoidance measures in an investigation by the Guardian.

The company featured in The British Corporate Welfare State. This is an extract:

“Five months after AstraZeneca thanked the local MP [George Osborne] for his support in receiving a £5m government grant to develop its R&D centre at Alderley Park, the pharmaceutical giant announced it was closing down the facility with a loss of 2,150 jobs.

Interestingly, the redundant site has subsequently been rescued with further public investment of £10m from Cheshire East Council and Manchester Science Partnerships (made up of Brentwood, Salford and Manchester Councils, the University of Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University).3 The initial pledge of £5m of public money therefore doubled in eighteen months.”

The company has also received over £600,000 in government support from InnovateUK according to the Government’s own data.

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