“Tax evasion IKEA must be examined” – De Morgen

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“Is it normal that legal structures are built with one goal: less taxes pay? “

Philippe Lamberts (Ecolo), MEP

the Zaventem-based subsidiary Ikea Service Centre NV plays an important role in the strategy of “tax optimization” of the multinational company, according to a study by the European Greens. Objective is, on paper, so keep on minimal profit. That is indeed responsible.

If paid Ikea Service Centre, which carries out the accounting for the stores of the Ikea Group, between 2010 and 2014 in our country barely 37.5 million in taxes on an income of 1.6 billion. That’s a tax rate of just 2.4 percent. The default rate in our country is 33.99 per cent: in this case, the state coffers 488 million euros earned in Ikea

This is possible through the notional interest deduction, a tax system to make attractive our country. companies. The aim is to offer them tax, so they invest more profits in the economy (but this is not mandatory). That is at Ikea not done according to this report: the saved amount flowed to evaded taxes in the form of loans back to IKEA stores across Europe. On those loans deserved the accounting firm, the subsidiaries in turn loans introduced tax:. Win-win for Ikea

The survey shows that just in 2014 Ikea for 179 million tax evaded through a Dutch subsidiary. Countries such as Germany (35.6 million), France (23.8 million) and the UK (11.6 million) were missing large amounts. The Dutch subsidiary Inter Ikea Group welcomed the Netherlands ‘tax efficient’ royalties: each European affiliate was 3 percent of its revenue off (and did so less taxable income). A large portion of these proceeds, according to the report from the Netherlands to Liechtenstein and Luxembourg channeled, where again only taxes to be paid.

Anti-Abuse Clause

the European Greens believe that the European Commission should set a thorough investigation into tax evasion, as previously happened with Google, Starbucks and Apple. Ikea says to act according to law. “But it is normal that legal structures are built with one goal: to pay less taxes?”, Philippe Lamberts Ecolo calls

The European finance ministers discussed plans in Brussels yesterday to counter tax evasion.. According Lamberts will the proposals as they are now only have “limited impact”. He argues for a European ‘antimisbruik’ clause. “A company merely draws for taxation reasons in a country, we should be able to address.”

Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt (N-VA) warned at the summit that the European ‘competitiveness “is compromised if the plans of the Commission go beyond those of other members of OECD. He was not available for comment on the Ikea file.

Krister Mattsson, Chief Financial Officer of IKEA Group, stressed that his company fully complies with the tax laws.