Press Release: Commission decides selective tax advantages for Fiat in Luxembourg and Starbucks in the Netherlands are illegal under EU state aid rules

The European Commission revealed on 21 October 2015 its decision to order Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler to pay back between €20m and €30m in taxes after European tax deals were ruled illegal.

The EC considered that Luxembourg and the Netherlands had granted selective tax advantages to these companies, also called state aid.

Starbucks announced it was going to appeal against the decision.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: State aid: Commission investigates transfer pricing arrangements on corporate taxation of Apple (Ireland) Starbucks (Netherlands) and Fiat Finance and Trade (Luxembourg) http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-state-aid-commission-investigates-transfer-pricing-arrangements-on-corporate-taxation-of-apple-ireland-starbucks-netherlands-and-fiat-finance-and-trade-luxembourg/

EurActiv, 20.10.15: Luxleaks tax case could tee up TTIP fight http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/luxleaks-tax-case-could-tee-ttip-fight-318690

European Commission: DG Communication: RAPID: STATEMENT/15/5881, 21.10.15: Statement by Commissioner Vestager on Commission state aid decisions regarding illegal tax advantages granted by Luxembourg (Fiat) and the Netherlands (Starbucks) and on the optical disk drives cartel http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-15-5881_en.htm

The Guardian, 21.10.15: Starbucks and Fiat sweetheart tax deals with EU nations ruled unlawful http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/21/starbucks-and-fiat-tax-deals-with-eu-nations-ruled-unlawful

BBC News, 21.10.15: Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler tax deals 'illegal' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34591476

The Independent, 21.10.15: Starbucks, Fiat must repay EU millions in tax breaks http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/eu-rules-starbucks-fiat-must-repay-millions-in-tax-breaks-a6702296.html

The New York Times, 21.10.15: E.U. Orders 2 Nations to Recover Taxes From Starbucks and Fiat http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/business/international/starbucks-fiat-eu-tax-netherlands-luxembourg.html

The Wall Street Journal, 21.10.15: EU Regulators Require That Starbucks, Fiat Pay Back Millions of Euros in Unpaid Taxes http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-rules-that-starbucks-fiat-benefited-from-illegal-tax-deals-1445419279

Deutsche Welle, 21.10.15: Starbucks, Fiat to repay illegal tax advantages http://dw.com/p/1GrOQ

Politico, 21.10.15: Vestager hits Fiat and Starbucks with tax claw-back http://www.politico.eu/article/vestager-fiat-starbucks-taxation-claw-back-netherlands-state-aid/

Deutsche Welle, 20.10.15: EU executive clamps down on dubious corporate tax deals http://dw.com/p/1GrEH

Politico, 21.10.15: The Danish tax reaper cometh http://www.politico.eu/article/danish-tax-reaper-fiat-starbucks-ruling-competition-commissioner/

EUObserver, 21.10.15: EU: Starbucks and Fiat must repay €20-30mn on illegal tax deals https://euobserver.com/economic/130779

EurActiv, 21.10.15: Brussels orders EU countries to claw back 'illegal' tax rulings http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/brussels-orders-eu-countries-claw-back-illegal-tax-rulings-318725

Politico, 21.10.15: Vestager ‘rocks the corporate world’ http://www.politico.eu/article/vestager-rocks-the-corporate-world/

The Guardian, 21.10.15: [Editorial]: The Guardian view on EU taxes: transnational problems need transnational answers http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/21/the-guardian-view-on-eu-taxes-transnational-problems-need-transnational-answers

De Volkskrant, 22.10.15: EU ruling on Starbucks is fair (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE171888-EU-ruling-on-Starbucks-is-fair

Dutch News.nl, 21.10.15: Dutch tax deal with Starbucks is illegal, says Brussels http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2015/10/dutch-tax-deal-with-starbucks-is-illegal-says-brussels/

EurActiv, 23.10.15: Facebook and Google to be grilled by MEPs over tax http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/facebook-and-google-be-grilled-meps-over-tax-318834

The Guardian, 02.11.15: Netherlands plans to rein in tax avoidance during EU presidency http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/02/netherlands-wants-to-rein-in-tax-avoidance-during-eu-presidency

Dutch News.nl, 03.11.15: After Starbucks, Brussels looks into Dutch tax deals with Microsoft, Kraft http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2015/11/after-starbucks-brussels-looks-into-dutch-tax-deals-with-microsoft-kraft/

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