Former prime minister Gordon Brown has asked MPs on the Treasury Select Committee to investigate whether betting firms are exploiting the tax system. His intervention follows ITV News’ revelation that Flutter Entertainment PLC has moved the headquarters of Sky Bet to Malta in an attempt to cut its UK tax bill by tens of millions of pounds.
In a statement, Brown said the report “raises serious concerns about potential tax avoidance that warrant thorough investigation”.
The Treasury Select Committee has already been examining the taxation of the betting and gaming industry ahead of next week’s Budget.
Brown wants the committee to “widen its inquiry to include transfer pricing, tax avoidance, and the VAT loophole described by Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates”.
