The EU on Thursday launched an in-depth probe into Nike's tax affairs
in the Netherlands, following revelations in the "Paradise Papers"
scandal that exposed low tax deals for multinationals.
The
investigation of one of the world's most iconic brands, with its "Just
Do It" moniker, follows a series of other tax probes targeting the
Netherlands, including into Starbucks and Ikea.
A similar
investigation of Apple's tax affairs in Ireland resulted in a order by
Brussels that the iPhone maker repay Dublin an extraordinary 14.3
billion euros in back taxes.
The commission, the EU's powerful
anti-trust enforcer, "will investigate carefully the tax treatment of
Nike in the Netherlands, to assess whether it is in line with EU state
aid rules," Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a
statement.
The investigation will try to determine whether a
series of tax agreements over almost a decade gave Nike an "unfair
advantage over competitors" in the Netherlands, she added.
The
investigation will focus on two Dutch-based units of Nike that the EU
suspects paid tax "that may not reflect economic reality", a statement
said.
Read more: EU probes Nike tax deals in the Netherlands
