Tax fraud? Or just give and take

I look at what I get out of Google for free,” says Dr Eric Crampton, head of research at the New Zealand Institute, arguing that the global tech giants aren't ripping us off when

they don't pay local tax. I’ve got my phone, I push a button and, for free, it will give me voice directions to walk any place in Wellington that I didn’t know how to get to before. Or I can put my phone

up to my parallel imported car’s screen display, push a button and Google translates the stuff I don't understand into English for me, so I can figure out how to make my car work. And I haven’t had to pay Google a dime for that. It’s like Star Trek stuff in your hand and it’s free, and still people are whining.” Crampton was responding to Spark CEO Simon Moutter, who argued every tax dollar a multi-national avoids paying here has to be

made up by NZ individuals or companies.