FIRM’S VERY SMALL TAX BILL

Online retailer Shop Direct, which is set to axe 2,000 workers, paid just £2million in corporation tax last year.

Owned by the billionaire Barclay brothers, the Liverpool company last week said it would close three depots in Greater Manchester and open a site in Leicestershire, mainly run by machines.

The firm, which owns Littlewoods.com and Very.co.uk plugged by actress Michelle Keegan, saw sales top £1.9billion last year, making it a near £25m profit. Yet it used losses from previous years and elsewhere to register a £40m tax credit, meaning it paid just £2m tax for the year to June 2017. There is no suggestion any of the practices are illegal.