France to seek €1.6bn in back taxes from Google, says official

Finance ministry source says France is demanding money from the US internet giant, which has come under scrutiny for alleged tax avoidance practices

France is seeking a1.6bn ($1.76bn) in back taxes from US internet giant Google, criticised for its use of aggressive tax optimisation techniques, a source at the finance ministry says.

"As far as our country is concerned, back taxes concerning this company amount to a1.6bn," the official, who declined to be named, said on Wednesday.