Tax Judge Rules Against Coca-Cola

Nov. 19, 2020
Coca-Cola has been evading taxes through accounting practices that allow the company to shunt profits overseas, a tax court judge has ruled.

Coca-Cola has been evading taxes through accounting practices that allow the company to shunt profits overseas, a tax court judge has ruled.

The Internal Revenue Service notified Coca-Cola in 2015 that it owed more than $3.3 billion in corporate taxes for 2007 through 2009. The IRS accused Coca-Cola of packing profits into subsidiaries in Egypt, Brazil, Ireland and other countries that mostly make soft-drink syrup.

The ruling from U.S. Tax Court Judge Albert Lauber adopted much of the IRS’s reasoning, noting that the subsidiaries in question showed profits far in excess of Coca-Cola as a whole.

“Why are the [subsidiaries], engaged as they are in routine contract manufacturing, the most profitable food and beverage companies in the world?” Lauber wrote in his opinion.

Lauber did not set a dollar amount for Coca-Cola to pay in back taxes. Coca-Cola expressed disappointment in the ruling and vowed to appeal.

Sponsored Recommendations

Refrigerated transport services you can count on

Ensure product quality from origin to final destination with refrigerated shipping solutions from Schneider.

4 shipping challenges that a dedicated carrier can solve

Navigating the logistics industry is challenging. Find out how a dedicated transportation solution can solve some of the most common shipping challenges.

Dedicated lightweight solution maximizes bottled water payload

A leading bottled water company needed a carrier to transport water from 29 plants to retailers. The challenge? Handling over 46,000 pounds. Read the study.

Recipe for successful growth: Schneider’s dedicated fleet services helps bakery rise

Learn how a large bakery company complimented their private fleet with Schneider Dedicated freight services to increase freight capacity, amplify visibility & reduce costs.