Starbucks have not yet paid money pledged after tax row

While Google has been squirming in front of MPs, Starbucks has just admitted to me that they have not yet paid any of the millions pounds they promised they would pay to the government after a row over their tax before Christmas.

They hadn't broken the law but there was public anger over the tiny amount they had paid.

Back then their boss admitted that they might end up having to make a donation to charity because there is no mechanism for a company to pay tax in this way - paying an estimate after bowing to political and public pressure.

And it seems they have not yet been able to work out how to do it.

Sources at the company tell me discussions on how to pay the money are 'on track', and it has been difficult because what has happened is 'unprecedented'.

But after risking a public backlash before, months of delay will hardly help.

It calls into question whether the company making a public statement promising to pay was a good idea to start with.

To many of us it might not seem that it is so difficult just to write a cheque?