Commission finds Luxembourg gave illegal tax benefits to Amazon worth around €250 million

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details IP/17/3701 (04.10.17)
Publication Date 04/10/2017
Content Type

Background and further information:

The European Commission launched this investigation in October 2014 and concluded that a tax ruling issed by Luxembourg in 2003, and prolonged in 2011, lowered the tax paid by Amazon in the country without any valid justification.

The Commission's investigation showed that the level of the royalty payments, endorsed by the tax ruling, was inflated and did not reflect economic reality. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the tax ruling granted a selective economic advantage to Amazon by allowing the group to pay less tax than other companies subject to the same national tax rules. In fact, the ruling enabled Amazon to avoid taxation on three quarters of the profits it made from all Amazon sales in the EU.

This is illegal under EU State aid rules because it allowed Amazon to pay substantially less tax than other businesses. Luxembourg was told to recover the illegal aid.

The European Commission announced on 4 October 2017 the conclusions of its investigation on corporate taxation related to Amazon in Luxembourg, which revealed that the country had granted undue tax benefits to the company of around €250 million.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-3701_en.htm
Related Links
The New York Times, 04.10.17: E.U., Citing Amazon and Apple, Tells Nations to Collect Tax https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/business/eu-tax-amazon-apple.html
Reuters, 04.10.17: EU orders Amazon to repay $295 million in Luxembourg back taxes https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1C913S
The Guardian, 04.10.17: Amazon ordered to repay €250m by EU over 'illegal tax advantages' https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/04/amazon-eu-tax-irish-government-apple
Deutsche Welle, 04.10.17: EU orders Amazon to pay Luxembourg 250 million euros in back taxes http://p.dw.com/p/2lB5K
Politico, 04.10.17: Vestager orders Amazon to pay €250 million in back taxes http://www.politico.eu/article/vestager-orders-amazon-to-pay-e250-million-in-back-taxes/
BBC News, 04.10.17: Europe 'to bill Amazon for Luxembourg back taxes' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41484025
EurActiv, 04.10.17: Commission orders Amazon to pay €250 million in back taxes http://www.euractiv.com/section/competition/news/commission-orders-amazon-to-pay-e250-million-in-back-taxes/
Luxemburger Wort, 04.10.17: Amazon said to face EU order to pay millions in back taxes to Luxembourg https://www.wort.lu/en/business/tax-deal-amazon-said-to-face-eu-order-to-pay-millions-in-back-taxes-to-luxembourg-59d475e756202b51b13c46ac
EUObserver, 04.10.17: Amazon becomes latest target in EU war on tax deals https://euobserver.com/economic/139276
The Economist, 07.10.17: After a bite of Apple, Margrethe Vestager targets another tech giant https://www.economist.com/news/business-and-finance/21729965-luxembourgs-comfort-letter-amazon-was-illegal-says-eu-after-bite-apple-margrethe
European Commission: Statement by Commissioner Vestager on illegal tax benefits to Amazon in Luxembourg and referring Ireland to Court for failure to recover illegal tax benefits from Apple http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-17-3714_en.htm

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