McDonald’s Moves Tax Base to U.K. Amid EU Attack on Burger Giant

  • Shift is apparent vote of confidence in U.K. in wake of Brexit
  • Comes as EU probes McDonald’s tax arrangements in Luxembourg
Photographer: Paul Thomas/Bloomberg
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McDonald’s Corp. shrugged off Brexit by announcing plans to switch its non-U.S. tax base to the U.K., ditching tiny Luxembourg where its fiscal arrangements are under attack Bloomberg Terminalfrom European Union regulators.

In an apparent vote of confidence in the U.K., the hamburger giant said Thursday it’s creating a new international holding company based in Britain, which decided in June to quit the EU. The new company will be responsible for most of the royalties received from licensing McDonald’s intellectual property rights outside the U.S. It will pay U.K. corporation tax, according to an e-mailed statement.