UKCloud latest to sign Memorandum of Understanding with UK.gov ahead of cloud mega framework

UKCloud has agreed specified discounts on a range of fluffy white services - public, private and hybrid - under a framework agreement with Crown Commercial Services (CCS), the procurement agency acting on behalf of British government. Microsoft and Google have each already penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CCS as …

[Pascal Monett]

"canned statements"

I wonder if they have a template for that.

[Anonymous Coward]

UKCloud

Does it have any connections with Cummings, Johnson or any of their mates ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: UKCloud

Not on the face of it

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07619797/officers

[Paul Smith]

vowed to "never practise any form of tax avoidance".

Why the f*ck would they do that? If they are paying tax that they can avoid then they are just increasing their costs unnecessarily and wasting shareholder value. The Government and the HRMC set the rules that companies must obey. If the can't be bothered to close the loopholes that companies take advantage of, then it is a bit stupid to blame the companies for following the rules that they set.

[Endymion]

Re: vowed to "never practise any form of tax avoidance".

Totally agree.

Tax avoidance is part of the fiduciary duty of a companie's officers, and it is board's resposibility to conduct tax planning so as to maximise profit for shareholder by reducing tax liabilities. Tax avoidance is completely legal - if UK Gov doesn't like people playing according to HMCE rules, then change them. so-called 'aggressive tax avoidance' is nothing of the sort - it's just companies being better at this game than the treasury and HMCE. A simple and transparent tax system would reduce the ability of UK Gov to play politically motivated games with the system, but also reducethe opportunities for their cronies to benefit in a way that the ordinary people can't, which isn't good for donations... it has ever been thus.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "fiduciary duty ... board's responsibility ... to maximise profit"

No, it isn't. That's a (convenient) myth (for sociopaths to hide behind).

There is no legal requirement to do any such thing in general (UK) company law, unless it is added in the company's formation documents.

[Robert Grant]

Re: "fiduciary duty ... board's responsibility ... to maximise profit"

Businesses making money is a convenient myth for hiding sociopaths?

I think you're confusing that with your "anonymous" mask.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: making money is a convenient myth

You are confusing what I said with what you thought I said.

If you re-read it, "making money" and "maximising profit" are not the same thing. I have no problem with the former, only the latter. There is a difference, and it is one of intent.

[amanfromMars 1]

For those flush in overseas slush funding.

Sources close to the public sector told El Reg that UKCloud had agreed to charge clients in pounds sterling,

Can clients pay in foreign currency [at normal market conversion rates] to the value of the pounds sterling charge? It offers clients certain very lucrative advantages. Surely that is not deemed problematical?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just another memo

A Memorandum of Understanding just provides companies with guidelines that they will interpret in their best interest and issue their own canned responses when they fail to meet the guidelines.

[Anonymous Coward]

Do they pay tax?

Unless I’m mis-reading their latest set of accounts (perfectly possible, happy to be corrected), I believe that UKCloud aren’t paying any taxes at all - instead, they’re deferring / claiming tax credit?

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07619797/filing-history

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[crayon]

"given assurance of data sovereignty"

Means nothing and is worth nothing unless backed up by the threats of clearly defined penalties on breaching said assurance.