Unions accuse Chevron of ‘massive’ tax avoidance via the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM: International and Dutch unions filed a complaint with a global trade body on Tuesday accusing Chevron Corp of funnelling billions of euros through letter box companies in the Netherlands to avoid taxation.

In a rare step, the federation of Dutch trade unions, the International Transport Workers’ Federation and Public Services International lodged the complaint with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in The Hague.

Media was unable to determine why the US oil major had been singled out in the complaint, but the trade unions said tax avoidance deprived workers they represented of basic government services and pressured their wages.

“The workers and communities we represent suffer when government-provided services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, water, energy, and public safety decline.” the complaint said. “Unfortunately, multinationals’ practice of avoiding paying taxes in the countries in which their wealth is earned deepens global wealth inequality and empowers multinationals against workers and governments.”

Scores of multinationals use the Netherlands, which has a network of tax treaties with roughly 100 countries, to shift dividends, interest and royalties untaxed through Dutch shell companies to tax havens overseas. — Reuters