The Milan prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into Amazon, accused of alleged tax fraud amounting to €200 billion. The investigation focuses on distance selling in Italy between 2019 and 2021, involving not only the company but also three managers, all of whom are under investigation. The news was reported by Corriere della Sera, although initial rumors on the matter had already surfaced last summer.
Tax evasion charges
According to the prosecutor's office, Amazon did not provide the Revenue Agency with the identity and data of non-European sellers, from whom it should collect VAT. The missing tax declarations are attributable to the platform's predictive algorithm, which does not consider the tax obligations that weigh on foreign sellers. This situation allowed Amazon to evade tax obligations for a total value of one billion and 200 million, a figure that, according to a calculation by the Guardia di Finanza of Monza cited by Corriere, could reach about three billion if penalties and interest were included.
Previous tax investigations
This is not the first time that Amazon has been at the center of tax investigations in Italy. In July, the Guardia di Finanza of Milan had already preventively seized 121 million euros on suspicion of tax fraud. In recent years, the Milan prosecutor's office has opened numerous investigations that have brought to light various cases of tax evasion and the alleged exploitation of workers in the logistics sector.
The situation of Amazon in Italy is very complicated and there are many tax issues to clarify. It is strange how such a large company can have these tax evasion problems, let's hope it is resolved soon.
It is incredible to think that a company like Amazon can evade taxes in this way. I wonder what the consequences are for the managers involved and whether there will be adequate sanctions.