EU top court scraps 250mn euro tax order vs Amazon
Technology
Chiara Putaturo, Oxfam EU tax expert, criticised the decision
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's top court on Thursday scrapped an EU order for Amazon (AMZN.O) to pay 250 million euros ($273 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg, part of EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager's crackdown against sweetheart deals between multinationals and EU countries.
"The Court of Justice confirms that the (European) Commission has not established that the tax ruling given to Amazon by Luxembourg was a State aid that was incompatible with the (EU's) internal market," the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) said.
Its decision is final.
"We welcome the Court’s ruling, which confirms that Amazon followed all applicable laws and received no special treatment. We look forward to continuing to focus on delivering for our customers across Europe," said an Amazon spokesperson.
Chiara Putaturo, Oxfam EU tax expert, criticised the decision.
"Amazon got an early Christmas present this year, as the company dodged its decade-old tax bill to Luxembourg and can continue to do so," said Putaturo.
"This is why the EU must come forward with real tax reforms. It can start by not looking the other way when it comes to tax havens within its borders allowing companies to sidestep their tax bills through empty offices," she added.
