
BAT appeals 1.2 bn Dutch tax claim
By Stefan Vermeulen, Sergio Nieto Solis, | 1 October, 2020
British American Tobacco (BAT) is fighting a record 1.2 billion euro claim for tax avoidance. Thursday 30 October a court in the city of Haarlem will consider a long-term dispute between the tobacco manufacturer and the Dutch tax authorities.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is fighting a record 1.2 billion euro claim for tax avoidance. Thursday 30 October a court in the city of Haarlem will consider a long-term dispute between the tobacco manufacturer and the Dutch tax authorities.
In 2015, the Dutch tax authorities imposed an additional tax of 31 million euros. BAT appealed this decision. Last year, research by The Investigative Desk showed that the claim had risen to 1 billion euros. In its most recent semi-annual report BAT reported that the Dutch tax authorities increased the claim again. As a result, it totals now more than 1.2 billion euros, consisting of additional tax assessments, fines and interest.
The case concerns internal payments within the BAT group in the period from 2003 to 2016. According to the tax authorities, the tobacco company used various financial constructions that were intended to avoid taxes. For example, a BAT holding company established in the Netherlands lent large amounts to subsidiaries abroad at high interest rates. This lowered BAT’s foreign profits.
The Dutch holding company immediately forwarded the income to a parent company in the United Kingdom. Consequently, BAT paid hardly any profit tax in the Netherlands. This disadvantaged the Dutch treasury, according to the tax authorities.
Read the full article (in Dutch) here.
More investigations

Leaked documents prove unknown connections between Russia and the Dutch political party PVV
The Kremlin has been trying to develop ties with the Dutch political party PVV since 2013. And with success. The party figures prominently in Russian

Is Geert Wilders more lenient on asylum?
In the run-up to the national elections, Geert Wilders, leader of the political party PVV, took the “sharp edges” off his asylum views. He also lower

The Investigative Desk Newsletter November Q3 2023
Read the full newsletter here. Dear reader, We’ve been extremely busy developing projects and writing subsidyapplications, so we upload this newslette

How a university assists the agricultural lobby in approving pesticides
The agrochemical industry is using Wageningen University in agriculture to set its own rules for the approval of pesticides and genetic technology. Th

Chemours’ Pfas verdict is a warning to all polluting companies
In a historic ruling, the court ruled that Chemours is liable for pollution damage in Dordrecht. This seems to open the way to millions of claims, cri

The hidden pfas problem that no one is addressing
Massive amounts of “ultra short” pfas are everywhere: in the environment, in drinking water and even in beer. These potentially dangerous substances h