Why Microsoft could be forced to pay more tax

Tech giant Microsoft is facing increasing pressure to publish its tax data with investors demanding transparency

Investors who are managing more than $350 billion of the company’s assets want access to further financial information. 

It comes as tech giants globally face growing scrutiny over their tax affairs. 

Investors are demanding that Microsoft publish more transparent tax and financial information, as tech giants face growing scrutiny globally over their tax affairs.

A shareholder resolution on tax transparency had been filed to Microsoft ahead of its annual investor meeting this year.

The organiser of the action is UK-based proxy advisers Pensions & Investment Research Consultants.

Taxation transparency

Investors including Nordea, AkademikerPension and Greater Manchester Pension Fund had backed the resolution.

The resolution calls on the company to publish financial and tax information on a country-by-country basis outside its home market of the United States.

The investors want to know whether Microsoft is paying fair taxes and identify any risks posed by tax reforms.

It also calls on Microsoft to produce a tax transparency report in line with the tax standard of the Global Reporting Initiative, a standards organisation.

Microsoft waa not immediately available for comment.

It comes as Microsoft revealed Russian government hackers carried out multiple cyber operations against Ukraine.