Taoiseach defends corporation rate from Sarkozy’s criticism

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has gone head-to-head against the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, defending Ireland’s low corporation tax in the margins of the EU summit.

The Taoiseach accused other countries of using other means to reduce the tax they charge corporations, officially having a high rate but actually charging far less.

Mr Sarkozy, who complained about Google paying low levels of tax because they are headquartered in Ireland, linked the country’s tax rate to the EU-IMF loan bailout.