EU heavyweights’ tax loopholes targeted

The EU stepped up a probe into tax loopholes for multinational companies, demanding details of specific agreements in 15 nations including euro-area heavyweights Germany, France and Italy.

Regulators also issued an ultimatum to Poland and Estonia for failing to hand over information about tax deals. The EU ordered them to fall in line within one month or face possible legal action at the European Court of Justice.

Margrethe Vestager, the bloc’s antitrust chief, is seeking to throw the spotlight onto the tax affairs of multinationals across the EU, potentially adding to probes targeting the fiscal arrangements of Apple in Ireland, Starbucks in the Netherlands and Amazon and a Fiat unit in Luxembourg.