http://www.jutarnji.hr/poreznici-poslali-mcdonaldsu-racun-od-300-mil--eura-francuske-sluzbe-smatraju-da-je-lanac-izbjegavao-porez-preko-podruznice-u-luksemburgu/1563678/

French tax authorities have sent to McDonalds'u bill for EUR 300 million of unpaid taxes, which, they believe, the restaurant chain pulled to a branch in Luxembourg, published business magazine L'Expansion.

As the newspaper writes, reports Reuters, the tax authorities have accused the US fast food chain that it has used a subsidiary in Luxembourg - McD Europe Franchising - to redirect profits to countries with lower taxes in a way that is has excessively charged the French part of the business for the use of the brand and other services.

McDonalds France declined to comment on the latest developments in the ongoing investigation by tax authorities in France, of which first became known in 2014.

"McDonalds is one of the largest payer of income tax in France and we are proud of it," was communicated from the group on Tuesday. McDonalds has since 2009 paid in France 1.2 billion euros in taxes and invested an additional billion euros, creating 10,000 jobs.

In January 2014, McDonald's has confirmed that the French offices of the company three months earlier were searched by tax officials after L'Expansion reported that the suspicion of transferring 2.2 billion outside the country in order to avoid paying taxes.

---

IZAKOVIC