Tech giant Google said Thursday it has paid over one billion dollars to French authorities to settle a years-long dispute over allegations of tax fraud.

A Paris court approved a penalty of 500 million euros ($551 million) from the digital giant over charges of tax evasion, and Google said it paid a further 465 million euros ($513 million) in �additional taxes.�

French investigators have since 2015 been investigating Google�s tax set-up. The company, like many multinationals, declares profits from activities across the EU in one country, usually a low-tax state. Google declares most of its earnings in Ireland.

Google said in a statement: �We remain convinced that a coordinated reform of the international tax system is the best way to provide a clear framework to companies operating worldwide.�

The move on Google comes as the French government steps up its effort to more fairly tax the digital operations of companies. In July, it put a pioneering 3% tax on tech giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google.

France�s tech tax provoked a rebuke from the White House, which said it could lead to U.S. tariffs on French imports. The French said the tech tax will be withdrawn only if a global deal is forged on how to better tax digital businesses, a diplomatic gamble that aims to obtain leverage with the U.S.

At this year�s Group of Seven finance ministers� meeting in Chantilly, France, officials said that the countries aim to sketch out the outlines of a global agreement on taxing digital business by January, and to create an arbitration forum.

(AP)