Online giant Amazon paid just £9.7m in corporation tax despite its UK sales soaring to £4.7bn, its 2013 accounts revealed.

However, the retailer paid almost double the corporation tax that it did a year ago.

Pre-tax profit soared 56% to £17.1m at Amazon’s UK business in 2013.

The company is understood to report most of its European profit through a tax-exempt Luxembourg partnership.

Amazon has previously come under fire for its tax affairs. In 2012, Amazon was called to the House of Commons in front of the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions regarding its tax.

Department store chain John Lewis and supermarket Sainsbury’s are among retailers to criticise Amazon for gaining what they say is an unfair advantage by selling offshore to cut costs.