Apple and Google generate substantial UK revenues from their app ecosystems, and a new study compares those inflows with the companies’ reported UK corporation tax bills. The report says Apple paid £322 million in UK corporation tax for 2025 (based on the latest available accounts), while Google paid £146 million in 2024.
The study frames this as an “app tax” paid by Britons, but the outlets differ in how they emphasize the underlying issue. One angle highlighted is the size of corporation tax versus the amount users contribute through app-related payments. The figures cited relate to corporation tax filings available in recent accounts, while the “app tax” concept depends on estimating consumer charges tied to digital services. The coverage focuses on the comparison and its implications for tax policy debates, rather than providing a single definitive accounting of all taxes paid by the firms.
The story centers on a study’s comparative calculations and the companies’ most recently published UK corporation tax figures, which are not necessarily directly comparable to consumer app spending.
