Netflix offices in Paris and Amsterdam were raided in connection with a tax fraud investigation on Tuesday morning.
French and Dutch authorities have been working together on the case since November 2022, officials said. Netflix’s European headquarters, located in Amsterdam, was part of the raid.
Investigators with France’s National Financial Prosecutor (PNF) led the Paris raid, according to the BBC. The PNF office was created in 2014 to investigate and prosecute complicated white collar financial crimes.
Netflix’s finances have been questioned by European investigators before. In 2022, the company paid a $59 million fine to settle a tax dispute in Italy.
Last year, French newspaper La Lettre reported that, until 2021, Netflix had been declaring revenue generated in France in Amsterdam. In 2020, Netflix declared €47.1 million in revenue in France. In 2021 that number jumped to €1.2 billion. The global smash hit “Emily in Paris” debuted on Netflix in October 2020.
Netflix has not publicly responded to the raids. In the past, the company has insisted that it paid taxes properly worldwide.
“Cooperation between the French and Dutch authorities has been underway for many months as part of these proceedings,” a French source told Reuters news agency.
The PNF has led high profile cases in the past, including an investigation of former French Prime Minister François Fillon for giving high paying no-show jobs to his immediate family members. Fillon was eventually sentenced to four years in prison for fraud.
Additionally, the PNF worked with U.S. and other international authorities to investigate airplane maker Airbus, leading to a $3.9 billion global settlement. The company was accused of bribing government officials and other influential figures for manufacturing contracts.
With News Wire Services
