Russian parliament passes ‘Google tax law’

Members of the Russian State Duma have approved the third reading of a new bill requiring foreign IT companies to pay value added tax (VAT) on the sale of online content, the Slon.ru news website reported Wednesday.

The bill, nicknamed the “Google tax law,” requires companies which distribute or sell online applications, games, music, or other content to register private offices in Russia and submit information on their sales in the country.

Google sells its content through its Google Play platform, which will be subjected to the law alongside Apple’s AppStore and Microsoft’s appstore for Windows.