{"id":11733,"date":"2025-02-19T10:52:33","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T09:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https://cross-border-magazine.com/de/?p=11733"},"modified":"2025-02-19T10:52:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T09:52:34","slug":"amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://cross-border-magazine.com/de/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon Faces Italian Tax Fraud Investigation Over €1.2 Billion in Unpaid VAT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11734\" srcset=\"https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99-300x169.png 300w, https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99-768x432.png 768w, https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99-780x439.png 780w, https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99-1190x669.png 1190w, https://cross-border-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crossbordermagazine-header-99.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" /></a></figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Italian authorities are investigating <strong>Amazon.com</strong> over alleged <strong>tax fraud</strong> concerning the <strong>non-payment of €1.2 billion in VAT</strong>. The investigation, led by the Italian <strong>financial police</strong>, scrutinized transactions between <strong>2019 and 2021</strong> and found that Amazon had failed to remit VAT on behalf of third-party sellers from <strong>outside the European Union (EU)</strong> who sold goods to customers in Italy.</p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a source cited by <strong>Agence France-Presse (AFP)</strong>, <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">the total amount <strong>could reach €3 billion if penalties are factored in</strong></span>. The case remains in its early stages at the <strong>Milan Prosecutor’s Office</strong>, with no formal charges filed yet.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Amazon's Tax Obligations Under Italian Law</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since <strong>2019</strong>, Italian law has required <strong>e-commerce platforms</strong> like Amazon to <strong>collect and pay VAT</strong> for third-party sellers based outside the <strong>EU</strong>. Previously, sellers were responsible for handling VAT themselves. This legal shift anticipated an <strong>EU-wide reform</strong>, introduced in <strong>July 2021</strong>, to standardize VAT collection across digital commerce to increase <strong>transparency</strong> and reduce <strong>tax losses</strong>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Changes in EU VAT Regulations:</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>E-commerce platforms are responsible</strong> for VAT collection from non-EU sellers.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>VAT exemption for low-value products was removed</strong>, ensuring a fairer tax system.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prevention of tax evasion and unfair competition</strong> among digital sellers.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Amazon's Response to the Allegations</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amazon has <strong>declined to comment</strong> on the ongoing investigation but has emphasized its commitment to <strong>tax compliance</strong>. The company stated that it paid <strong>€1.4 billion in direct and indirect taxes</strong> in Italy in <strong>2023</strong>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Investigation's Broader Implications</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The probe into Amazon’s VAT payments comes amid rising <strong>trade tensions</strong> between the <strong>United States and the European Union</strong>. Former <strong>U.S. President Donald Trump</strong> has repeatedly criticized <strong>America’s trade deficit with the EU</strong> and has suggested implementing <strong>reciprocal tariffs</strong> against the bloc. He has also accused the EU’s <strong>VAT system</strong> of acting as a trade barrier since <strong>VAT applies to consumer sales regardless of the product's origin</strong> and is often higher than sales taxes in the <strong>U.S.</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why This Case Matters:</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Potential regulatory scrutiny</strong> for other major e-commerce platforms operating in Europe.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increased enforcement</strong> of digital tax compliance in EU member states.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact on transatlantic trade relations</strong>, especially if the case escalates.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Italian authorities’ investigation into <strong>Amazon’s alleged tax fraud</strong> underscores the growing global focus on <strong>e-commerce taxation and digital platform accountability</strong>. While the case is still <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>preliminary</strong></span>, its outcome could have <strong>significant consequences</strong> for Amazon and other online marketplaces operating in <strong>Europe</strong>. As the EU strengthens <strong>VAT enforcement</strong>, digital platforms may face <strong>greater scrutiny and financial liabilities</strong> in the coming years.</p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italian authorities are investigating Amazon.com over alleged tax fraud concerning the non-payment of €1.2 billion in VAT. The investigation, led by the Italian financial police, scrutinized transactions between 2019 and...</p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":11734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[95,98,202,1220,321],"class_list":["post-11733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-amazon","tag-cross-border","tag-e-commerce","tag-italian","tag-online-shopping"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https://yoast.com/product/yoast-seo-wordpress/ -->\n<title>Amazon Faces Italian Tax Fraud Investigation Over €1.2 Billion in Unpaid VAT - Cross-Border Magazine</title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Italian authorities are investigating Amazon.com over alleged tax fraud concerning the non-payment of €1.2 billion in VAT\" />\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" />\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https://cross-border-magazine.com/de/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud/\" />\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" />\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Frank Calviño\" />\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" />\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" />\n<script type=\"application/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\/\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Frank Calviño\",\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/b6cd94aac4c53b0caeca4b3424fae960\"},\"headline\":\"Amazon Faces Italian Tax Fraud Investigation Over €1.2 Billion in Unpaid VAT\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-19T09:52:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-19T09:52:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud\\/\"},\"wordCount\":427,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2025\\/02\\/crossbordermagazine-header-99.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Amazon\",\"cross-border\",\"e-commerce\",\"Italian\",\"online shopping\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"de-DE\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\/\\/cross-border-magazine.com\\/amazon-faces-italian-tax-fraud\\/\",\"name\":\"Amazon Faces Italian Tax Fraud Investigation Over €1.2 Billion in Unpaid VAT - 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