Big tech accused of avoiding $2.8bn in tax to poorest countries

Reform of international corporate taxation could transform health and education, says report

Big US technology companies are exploiting loopholes in global tax rules to avoid paying as much as $2.8bn (2.1bn) tax a year in developing countries, according to research by the anti-poverty charity ActionAid International.

Facebook, Google and Microsoft have been accused of failing to pay a fair amount of taxes in poor countries where governments are struggling to provide even basic healthcare or education to their citizens.