Tax evasion by corporations such As BASF taxes – Süddeutsche.de

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• When it comes to tax avoidance that companies like Apple or Starbucks in the stocks. However, the Dax-corporations use the tax laws.
• A new study shows how the chemical company, BASF, tax payments suppressed.

Arnhem is not far behind the German border. In the small Dutch town there is a train station that looks like a Ufo, an open-air Museum with old wind mills and a letter box with the number 1019. It belongs to a company called BASF Nederland BV, and the need for a large letter-box, because it makes a lot of business with dozens of subsidiaries around the world. The tax office in Arnhem, gets but little of the company. In recent years, the company have only paid taxes in the amount of 0.035 percent. In an analysis given by the green group in the European Parliament.

0.035 percent: This is reminiscent of the case of Apple. The European Commission has Recently decided that the iPhone-consolidated taxes you must pay in the billions. Apple did it in Ireland, to pay only 0.005 per cent tax, so the EU Commission. The company and the Irish government are fighting back against the decision.

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When it comes to tax evasion by corporations, many people think first of American IT corporations such as Apple, Google or Amazon. However, large European companies make use of tax tricks, what is going on in the public debate sometimes. The EU Commission already has two European groups in the visor. The Italian auto manufacturer Fiat took advantage of illegal financial tricks in Luxembourg and must pay 20 million Euro, the Commission decided as early as 2015. And only a few weeks after the Apple decision, the authorities in Brussels announced that it is investigating the French energy group Engie, formerly known under the name of GDF Suez. Again financial deals in Luxembourg, suspected of taxes illegally pressed. However, are not completed in this case, the investigation, the case is pending.

BASF-analysis is now the view of German companies. Because BASF has a long tradition as a company that exports a lot. It is exemplary for the German economy is currently the fourth most valuable group in the Dax, the Ranking of the largest corporations in the country.

The investigation has looked at the BASF subsidiaries in four tax havens, Belgium, Malta, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and the financial reports for the years 2010 to 2014 were evaluated. The bottom line is that a rough estimate of how much BASF taxes could according to these data, is avoided. The Report comes to a total amount of 923 million euros.

“taxes are a cost factor”

however, This is only a rough estimate. BASF does not want to comment on that. The group stressed the need to adhere strictly to all tax laws. “Tax is a cost factor. In the interest of its shareholders, BASF is aiming for in the framework of the applicable laws, the reduction of this cost factor,” says a spokeswoman.

The exact tax models and payments are business secrets, can not even view the tax authorities always full – and then you are subject to tax secrecy. The sum is an estimate, based on publicly available data.

information are already rich, for example, in the case of the BASF Nederland BV. You will not employs many employees, according to the latest company report, there are 670 people. You do what BASF in Germany: you use adhesives, plant protection products, other chemical materials and intermediate products, and sell these.