Ikea’s corporate tax structure will be investigated by the European Commission, which claims that the Dutch-based Inter Ikea division of the Swedish company may have received unfair tax benefits from the Netherlands. The European Union (EU) will examine whether the company’s tax affairs are in breach of rules on state aid. EU law prohibits member states from granting selective tax benefits, unavailable to most firms, to multinationals. In response to questions about its tax affairs, IKEA said it had paid all taxes due and was cooperating with authorities.
Ikea’s corporate tax structure will be investigated by the European Commission, which claims that the Dutch-based Inter Ikea division of the Swedish company may have received unfair tax benefits from the Netherlands. The European Union (EU) will examine whether the company’s tax affairs are in breach of rules on state aid. EU law prohibits member states from granting selective tax benefits, unavailable to most firms, to multinationals. The Commission’s concerns centre on two separate Dutch tax rulings, one in 2006 and the other in 2011.