One billion euros. It's what the fast food chain should be Mc Donald's to the tax authorities of several European countries, in particular the French one from which he would have stolen around 700 million euros (not counting the penalties). The complaint, reported in the transalpine newspaper Le Figaro, comes from EPSU (European Federation of Public Service Unions) and two other European trade union organisations, including the one that regulates the food, agriculture and tourism sectors: “Mc Donald's tax structure – reads a press release – allowed the group to avoid taxes on a portion of its revenues, causing European countries to lose more than 1 billion between 2009 and 2013”.
Il relationship of trade unions, entitled “A Happy Meal”, speaks of "tax avoidance" and confirms that the countries most affected, in addition to France, are Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. “Mc Donald's – claims EPSU – has transferred its European registered office to Switzerland and has channeled the revenues linked to intellectual property into a very small branch in Luxembourg”. In this way, in the four years considered, the small Luxembourg office (in which only 13 people work) has a turnover of 3,7 billion euros, "on which taxes of only 16 million have been paid".
“It's shameful – he accuses Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU Secretary General (European Union Federation of Public Services) – that a company with a turnover of billions of euros and which pays its employees low average wages also finds a way to avoid paying a fair share of taxes. We call on the European Commission to take immediate action."
Italy is the fourth European country where Mc Donald's has more restaurants and more turnover, ahead of Spain: in 2013 the US chain grossed just over one billion euros in the boot, and in January 2015 there were 510 stores. The country with the most stores is Germany ( 1.477), while the one where the American fast food chain does the most business is precisely the France: 1.342 stores and revenues of 4,4 billion, ahead of Germany (3,6 billion) and the United Kingdom (2,7).
In France, the estimate speaks of an evaded sum that reaches 700 million, to which 300 to 500 million penalties must also be added. In Italy the amount due, according to the report, is almost ten times smaller: 75 million euro, to which approximately 150 million in fines should be added.
