Angry Birds maker Rovio mulls moving headquarters to IrelandJune 11, 2012 - 11:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Finnish games company Rovio is fed up with having to pay so much of its profits to the government that that it is considering moving its headquarters to Ireland, TechEye reports. Chief executive Mikael Hed, of the company which brought the world the Angry Birds game, said Rovio's turnover grew to €75 million last year from €10 million the previous year, and less than €1 million the year prior to that. The only problem is that the Finnish tax man is extremely interested in getting a slice of the action to help his country pay for health, welfare and education. Hed told The Irish Times that the company's profits before tax and other charges was more than 60 percent of its income. Rovio employs 400 people, mostly in Finland, but apparently is in talks with the Irish government to see if it can establish headquarters there. That way it would not only save money on its tax bill, but would get sweeteners from the government to move over. Hed said that the Irish authorities have been very active and Rovio had been promoting that idea. Speaking in Monaco, where he is a contestant in the Ernst & Young International Entrepreneur of the Year awards, he said that for now Rovio has stayed in Finland but a move to a wetter, if warmer climate is high on the company's mind. The corporation tax rate in Finland is 24.5 percent, while Ireland's rate is 12.5 per cent. Google and Facebook, have set up European headquarters in Dublin so as to benefit from Ireland's low corporation tax rate. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Armenian delegation participating in NATO PA session The delegation is headed by Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the standing committee on defense and security matters. Schengen visa cost won’t change for Armenia – diplomat The increase in the cost of a Schengen visa will not apply to citizens of Armenia, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said. Yeremyan Projects opens state-of-the-art dairy production plant Yeremyan Projects officially launched the Yeremyan Products state-of-the-art milk processing plant in Yerevan on May 24. Azerbaijan's defense spending set to increase by 11% Azerbaijan's spending on defense and national security will increase by 11%, according to a fresh bill. |