Starbucks VP awarded ‘Prize Mug’ following tax avoidance


by Adam Ramsay    
10:27 am - December 1st 2012

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Starbucks VP Marketing Ian Cranna was this week awarded a golden mug ahead of a speech in Birmingham.

The “Prize Mug” was awarded for the company’s ‘mugging’ of the UK taxpayer.


Starbucks: mugging the taxpayer

Starbucks UK was recently revealed to have dodged many millions of pounds of UK tax in the year 2011/12. It has failed to pay any corporation tax to the HMRC for the last three years – and only £8.5m since the company arrived in the UK in 1998. They achieve this through a number of payment scheme, which move money to subsidiaries.

The protest comes ahead of a UK Uncut national day of action against Starbucks on the 8th of December – which already has 24 actions listed on the UK Uncut website.

The day of action will take place the first Saturday after the Chancellor’s autumn statement, in which he is expected to announce further public spending cuts.

To find out more about corporate tax dodging, and get all your questions answered from the comfort of your own home, you can join a conference call organised by People & Planet with national expert, John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network – at 6:30pm on the 6th of December.

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About the author
Adam is a regular contributor. He also writes more frequently at: Bright Green Scotland.
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16 Comments || Add yours below

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Reader comments


1. Churm Rincewind

I despair of this kind of post. Starbucks has done nothing illegal. They have arranged their affairs to be both tax compliant and tax effective in exactly the same way that the majority of individuals in the UK have arranged their affairs to avoid tax by taking out an ISA, which is similarly both tax compliant and tax effective.

If the suggestion is that there is something unfair going on (and there’s an argument that cash-rich ISA investors are advantaged over the poor in exactly the same way that Starbucks is advantaged by virtue of its international reach) then the answer is to to change the law.

But you really do have to be careful about what you wish for.

2. Robert

Legal, avoiding, and tax, this from a bunch of MP’s who were flipping homes to avoid paying tax, like it so funny

3. BenM

@1 Only thing to despair of here is attitudes like yours.

The deliberate planning of structures to be “tax effective” IS the problem and the morally dubious aspect to this.

Note on the ISA thing too – stopping tax rich individuals gaining too much of an advantage is why allowances are rightly and deliberately so low.

4. PiRat

I hope the big companies give nothing and continue to give nothing.

Socialists go suck it!


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Jason Brickley

    Starbucks VP awarded ‘Prize Mug’ following tax avoidance http://t.co/qL3R4YS1

  2. leftlinks

    Liberal Conspiracy – Starbucks VP awarded ‘Prize Mug’ following tax avoidance http://t.co/iPamGSQj

  3. Sunny Hundal

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  4. The Essex Bard

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  5. Martin Maclean

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  6. Jane Pleb McCourt

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  7. Sam Bentley

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  8. Col_Bogeys_Batman

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  9. MrHeardBusiness

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  10. Jessica Pinson

    Starbucks VP awarded a ‘Prize Mug’ by activists following revelations of tax avoidance http://t.co/wFD4httC

  11. David Davies

    Starbucks VP awarded ‘Prize Mug’ following tax avoidance ~ http://t.co/fOfi68vC

  12. pat neary

    Starbucks VP awarded ‘Prize Mug’ following tax avoidance | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/gSgOjDpi via @libcon





  • We have a tight comments policy aimed at fostering constructive debate.
  • We believe in free speech but not your right to abuse our space.
  • Abusive, sarcastic or silly comments may be deleted.
  • Misogynist, racist, homophobic and xenophobic comments will be deleted.
  • Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy.