The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has opened a criminal investigation into a tax case involving an ex-manager of French luxury group Kering, owner of the Gucci brand, following a request by Italian authorities.
This content was published on
2 minutes
ATS-SDA/Reuters/sb
The OAG confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that it had received and carried out a request for mutual legal assistance from the public prosecutor’s office at the court of Milan. It added that it had opened its own criminal proceedings “on suspicion of, among other things, money laundering and document forgery” against “unknown persons”. Italian-speaking Swiss public radio RSI External linkhad also reported the case. Kering declined to comment.
A source told Reuters that the request from Milan referred to a former Kering manager in Italy under investigation for suspected tax evasion and did not concern a separate tax probe into the French group.
Last week, Kering announced that it had complied with its tax obligations in Switzerland, in answer to reports claiming that the group used a Swiss-based scheme to evade taxes on earnings from brands such as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.
The French information site Mediapart External linkand Germany’s Der Spiegel had alleged that Kering had saved on taxes it should have paid in countries such as Italy by billing some business carried out elsewhere to a Swiss site. Mediapart, which cited documents linked to an Italian tax investigation, said it estimated that since 2002 Kering had saved €2.5 billion ($3.1 billion) in tax in this manner. The newspapers claimed the French group benefited from a low tax rate of about 8% by billing them through the Swiss region of Ticino.
Kering defended itself in a statement sent to Reuters: “The group pays its due taxes in Switzerland, in compliance with the law and the fiscal status of the company. This business operating model is known by French and other competent tax authorities.”
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
AI can reduce the number of animals needed for research
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have developed a new, AI-supported method that analyses the behaviour of mice in the laboratory more efficiently.
Geneva Conventions conference on Middle East scheduled for March 2025
This content was published on
The conference on the Middle East of the 196 States party to the Geneva Conventions, organised by Switzerland, will take place in Geneva in March.
Swiss university graduates are popular hires worldwide
This content was published on
Graduates of Swiss universities are popular with international employers, according to the Global Employability University Rankings.
French cross-border workers in Switzerland fear ‘discriminatory’ unemployment reform
This content was published on
In the French region around Geneva, cross-border workers are protesting proposals to cut unemployment benefits for those working in Switzerland.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Chiasso accepts tax payments in bitcoin
This content was published on
Chiasso announced that it would take bitcoin to settle up to CHF250 ($265) of tax bills from the start of next year. The decision was taken after consulting with cryptocurrency and blockchain companies that have recently set up in the region. “Chiasso is recognised internationally as an epicentre of a growing technological and economic growth…
This content was published on
They argue that although the Italian-speaking canton in southern Switzerland has many advantages, it is being left behind by other cantons when it comes to wooing companies. The Taiwanese Acer Group – second worldwide in the personal computer market – officially laid the foundation stone for its new European headquarters in September last year. The…
Switzerland and Italy seek better coordination over Europe
This content was published on
Addressing an audience of 320 Swiss diplomats, including Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, gathered at the UN on Monday morning, Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni gave a long speech in Italian extending his gratitude. “Thank you, Didier, for inviting me to such an important meeting,” said the Italian minister. “I consider this an…
This content was published on
The accord and a roadmap for the amendment of tax rules on cross-border workers as well as improved access to Italy’s financial market for Swiss banks and insurers were signed by Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf and her Italian counterpart, Pier Carlo Padoan, in Milan on Monday. The agreement also foresees participation in a voluntary disclosure…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.