I’m not a Starbucks drinker really, I’m an Urban Coffee Co fan, but much of the talk on that particular company (of the three) is very misinformed. Many of the Starbucks shops are paying Corporation Tax as they are franchises ie stand alone businesses, so a boycott harms a local small business, employing local people and spending money in the local economy.
Also the media commentary, for all companies, talks about turnover figures. Turnover is irrelevant it just sounds big, you can make a massive turnover but still make very little profit which means a low Corp Tax bill or even a loss, so again it misinforms the audience comparing these two figures.
I’m all in favour of supporting local small businesses but I’m not sure the reasons given are entirely valid. Tax, at the end of the day, is a cost and any business should do everything it can to keep costs low! Keeping costs low, means business can grow hopefully employing more people, who remember are all paying tax and the company is also paying tax (NI) for every person it employs. So the companies are paying tax despite the current rhetoric.
So, in all the media buzz at the moment, as with anything, investigate a bit deeper before jumping on the bandwagon. Comments anyone?