December 23 2015
Amongst the big companies using the Dutch evasion routes are a large number of arms manufacturers and major international defence companies. Their almost empty offices or even only mailboxes in the Netherlands gives them the legal possibility pay as little tax as possible with all available legal tricks.
The top-100 of global arms companies has been used as the starting point for this research. Of the almost US$ 450 billion annual defence production, these top-100 companies are responsible for about half, which is US$ 205 billion. Of the first ten biggest arms companies, seven have legal structures in the Netherlands. And one-third of the hundred biggest defence companies turned out to have one or more holdings in the Netherlands. They shuffle around with money and play tricks with prices and product costs to pay minimal taxes. Most of them are western-based companies, most have high profit rates.