FACEBOOK'S UK tax bill rose to £15.8 million last year on record revenues of £1.3 billion.

The bill is triple the £5.1 million paid in 2016 - but the social network will get an immediate cut by claiming tax credit.

The net charge for 2017 comes to £7.4 million, following tax relief of £8.45 million for granting employees shares in the firm.

According to the company's accounts, while Facebook increased its revenue by a third year-on-year, its profits - on which tax is paid - only climbed by £4 million to £62 million.

Its profits were reduced by £759 million in sales and £444 million in unexplained "administrative expenses".

The publication of Facebook's tax bill comes on the back of extensive scrutiny in the UK over how much tax technology giants typically pay.

At the Conservative Party conference last week, Chancellor Philip Hammond threatened internet giants with a new digital services tax to ensure they pay their fair share of the cost of public services.

Responding to the latest Facebook accounts, Labour MP Margaret Hodge said it was "absolutely outrageous that Facebook's UK tax bill is 0.62% of their revenue".

She added: "On an income of £1.2 billion, they really should be paying much more than £7.4 million."

Facebook says it has changed the way it reports tax so that revenue from customers supported by its UK team is recorded in the UK, and any taxable profit is subject to UK corporation tax.

It is also planning to double its office space in King's Cross, London, with capacity for more than 6,000 workstations by 2022.