The French police searched Tuesday Google offices in Paris, as part of an investigation for tax fraud, reported a police source.
The French authorities claim the Internet giant euro 1,600 million (USD 1,700 million) in taxes they consider have not paid, according to a source close to the case. This sum was not confirmed by the Ministry of Finance.
Contacted by AFP, the press service of Google France was not available for comment.
Google and other multinational companies like Amazon or Facebook are accused usually want to avoid taxes, while in the United States and Europe, opting to settle in countries where taxation is more favorable. According to these groups, it is legal practices of "tax optimization".
Google's European headquarters are in Ireland, a country that has a tax on profits of companies (12.5%) among the lowest in the European Union.
Google's French subsidiary had received in March 2014 a "notice" of fiscal adjustment by the French administration, whose amount was not disclosed.