EU ends Amazon state aid case with no back taxes in its basket

Amazon can finally close the book on a long-running state aid saga in the European Union. The Commission confirmed Thursday it’s shuttered an investigation into whether Luxembourg, the Member State where Amazon has its EU HQ, had granted it “selective tax advantages.” The upshot is Amazon has no unpaid taxes to pay.

The case dates back almost a decade at this point. A major development came in 2017 when the Commission concluded Luxembourg had given Amazon illegal tax benefits worth €250 million. However, EU judges annulled the Commission decision on appeal. That still left the investigation open on paper, but the EU is now closing the loop and accepting this is one state aid case it hasn’t won. (Unlike the $15 billion Apple case.)

In a press release, the Commission said its decision to close the case — accepting that no tax rules were broken — was based on guidance provided by EU Courts.