Netflix Europe offices raided in tax fraud probe
French and Dutch authorities have raided Netflix’s offices in Paris and Amsterdam as part of an ongoing tax fraud investigation, according to French judicial sources. The investigation, which has involved close collaboration between the two nations since its launch in November 2022, seeks to address suspicions of “serious tax fraud and off-the-books work,” as reported by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF).
Netflix, whose Amsterdam office oversees operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, has yet to respond specifically to the raids but maintains that it complies with tax laws wherever it operates.
The PNF’s investigation is focused on Netflix’s tax filings from 2019 to 2021. French sources confirm that Dutch authorities are conducting parallel searches in Amsterdam, with both countries cooperating on the matter for “many months.”
Previously, French media outlet La Lettre reported that Netflix had minimized its French tax obligations until 2021 by declaring its French revenue in the Netherlands. Following the end of this arrangement, Netflix’s declared annual revenue in France surged from €47.1 million in 2020 to €1.2 billion in 2021. Investigators are now examining whether Netflix continued efforts to reduce its tax burden after 2021. Netflix has been operating in France for over a decade, with its Paris office opening in 2020. The streaming service has approximately 10 million subscribers in the country, according to AFP.
