The Economy minister, Bruno Le Maire, said on Sunday that an investigation was ongoing in Italy about 2.5 billion euros of taxes that Kering would have escaped between 2002 and 2017 through its platform for logistics and distribution LGI based in Switzerland. The ministry of Economy has, however, clarified that no investigation was opened in France.
“There is an ongoing investigation and the investigation will go on until the end.(…) The principle of tax justice will be defended in this case as in any other case,” said Sunday Bruno Le Maire said on France Inter.
Mediapart reported Friday that Kering had saved approximately 2.0 billion euros in taxes since 2009, of which us $ 1.4 billion for Gucci and $ 180 million for Saint Laurent.
Up until 2002, the figure would have reached $ 2.5 billion “for the most part to the prejudice of the Italy, but also France and the United Kingdom,” according to the site investigation, which reports a survey conducted with the european network of media investigation (ECI).
Kering has denied information of Médiapart
In an email sent to Reuters on Friday, Kering reported that “the group pays Swiss taxes due, in accordance with the act and the tax status of the company”.
“This operating model is known to the tax authorities, French and other competent tax authorities”, he adds.
In January, Kering has denied information of Médiapart, showing a mounting tax evasion in order to pay the salary of the boss of Gucci, Marco Bizzarri.
The claw Italian, the main source of the profit of Kering, is the subject of an investigation by the public prosecutor of Milan since November 2017 for suspicion of tax evasion.
(with Reuters)
