[EMEA] Netflix Paris and Amsterdam offices raided in tax fraud probe

European offices of streaming service Netflix have been raided by authorities as part of an investigation into tax fraud, BBC News reports.

According to French judicial sources, French and Dutch authorities raided Netflix offices in Paris and Amsterdam. Officials from the countries have been working together on the case since the investigation was opened in November 2022.

Netflix reportedly has yet to make specific comment on the raids, however, the streaming giant insists it complies with tax laws wherever it operates.

Netflix’s Amsterdam office is the headquarters of the company's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The French investigation is being carried out by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), a special unit used for high-profile white-collar crime investigations.

The PNF said the investigation relates to suspicions of "covering up serious tax fraud and off-the-books work".

In addition, Netflix is under investigation for 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax filings.

French sources told BBC News that authorities in the Netherlands were conducting simultaneous searches and that cooperation between the two countries had been going on for "many months".

In 2023, French media outlet La Lettre reported that until 2021, Netflix in France had minimised its tax payments by declaring turnover generated in France to the Netherlands.

According to La Lettre, after Netflix abandoned this arrangement, its annual declared turnover in France jumped from €47.1m ($51.3m; £39.6m) in 2020 to €1.2bn in 2021.

Investigators are now reportedly trying to determine whether Netflix continued to attempt to minimise its profits after 2021.

Netflix began streaming in France over 10 years ago and opened its Paris office in 2020. It has around 10 million subscribers in the country, AFP news agency said.

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)

European offices of streaming service Netflix have been raided by authorities as part of an investigation into tax fraud, BBC News reports.

According to French judicial sources, French and Dutch authorities raided Netflix offices in Paris and Amsterdam. Officials from the countries have been working together on the case since the investigation was opened in November 2022.

Netflix reportedly has yet to make specific comment on the raids, however, the streaming giant insists it complies with tax laws wherever it operates.

Netflix’s Amsterdam office is the headquarters of the company's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The French investigation is being carried out by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), a special unit used for high-profile white-collar crime investigations.

The PNF said the investigation relates to suspicions of "covering up serious tax fraud and off-the-books work".

In addition, Netflix is under investigation for 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax filings.

French sources told BBC News that authorities in the Netherlands were conducting simultaneous searches and that cooperation between the two countries had been going on for "many months".

In 2023, French media outlet La Lettre reported that until 2021, Netflix in France had minimised its tax payments by declaring turnover generated in France to the Netherlands.

According to La Lettre, after Netflix abandoned this arrangement, its annual declared turnover in France jumped from €47.1m ($51.3m; £39.6m) in 2020 to €1.2bn in 2021.

Investigators are now reportedly trying to determine whether Netflix continued to attempt to minimise its profits after 2021.

Netflix began streaming in France over 10 years ago and opened its Paris office in 2020. It has around 10 million subscribers in the country, AFP news agency said.

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)