Quote Originally Posted by OurManFlint II View Post
The high street is in decline because online companies can charge lower costs as they don't pay tax.
It is actually the other way around: they can afford to run at a loss or at no profit, and as such don't pay tax.
The "no tax" thing is really a byproduct of the actual problem. The actual problem is the US multinationals can and do run at a loss to kill off competition, because they can afford to. And tax aside: online retail has a lower cost base than bricks and mortar retail anyway, so even if an online retailer and a traditional retailer targeted the same profit margin, the online retailer could charge a lower price and so over time you'd see the high street wither (these are all obviously very general comments!).

But the large online retailers - well, Amazon - killing off markets because they can afford it is the biggest problem. The percentage of shopping journeys that start on Amazon is frightening. The global response is a decade too late/slow. Corporate income taxes are driven by profit. How do governments respond to companies who's policy is to run parts of its business at no profit for years on end?