The offices of U.S. streaming giant Netflix were raided by tax investigators Tuesday in France and the Netherlands as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged tax fraud laundering, a French judicial source revealed.
Reuters reports the French investigation, carried out by the PNF, a special financial crime prosecution unit notorious for pursuing high-stakes white-collar probes that often involve large international companies, was opened in November 2022.
Investigators specialising in financial crime and corruption raided the company’s offices in central Paris as part of the move.
Dutch authorities were simultaneously searching the company’s European headquarters in Amsterdam, the French judicial source told Reuters.
“Cooperation between the French and Dutch authorities has been underway for many months as part of these proceedings,” the French source said. The office of the Dutch prosecutor for financial crime declined to comment and referred questions to the PNF.
A preliminary investigation in France does not imply criminal charges and does not necessarily lead to a trial.
The facts which led to the investigation were not immediately clear.
Netflix is under investigation in France for its tax filings for 2019, 2020 and 2021, AFP reports.
The outlet also notes Netflix earned over $9.8 billion in revenue worldwide from its 282 million subscribers in July-September this year.
The group arrived in France just over 10 years ago and now boasts 10 million households subscribed.
Netflix says it complies with local laws on commissioning French content, paying the full rate of VAT and contributing to a film industry levy.