Facebook paid £4.2m UK corporation tax in 2015

Accounts show that Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB - news) paid substantially more in UK corporation tax last year than the £4,327 in 2014.

Nevertheless, the £4.2m remained a fraction of the £210m in UK revenue reported by the social network.

It promised earlier this year it would stop routing most UK sales through to a profit base in Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) where corporation tax is charged at a lower rate.

The voluntary shake-up of its tax affairs was seen as a response to widespread criticism of its 2014 corporate tax figure which was less than the average UK worker would contribute through income tax and national insurance at the time.

Facebook is among a string of multi-national firms criticised over the size of their UK tax bills, with Ireland set to appeal an EU state aid ruling that Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) must pay it £11bn in back taxes .

Prime minister Theresa May has signalled she will apply more vigour in ensuring tax fairness when it comes to firms operating in the UK.

Facebook said in March that advertising revenue from its largest customers, initiated in Britain, would be taxed in the UK from 2016.

It was unclear how much more this was expected to raise for the taxman.

Responding to its 2015 accounts, a Facebook spokesman said: "We are proud that in 2015 we have continued to grow our business in the UK and created over 300 new high-skilled jobs.

"The UK is now home to some of the most innovative technologies in the world, including our investment in a high-tech solar-powered plane centre in Somerset that will help bring the internet to remote areas of the world.

"We pay all the taxes that we are required to under UK law."