WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 A US court has found the American corporation Coca-Cola guilty of tax evasion, obliging it to pay a record fine of $6 billion, the company said.
«Today, the U.S. Tax Court issued a decision in the ongoing tax case between the Coca-Cola Company and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The decision includes a liability of approximately $2.7 billion. Including applicable interest, the total amount is expected to be approximately $6 billion,» the statement said.
The specified fine amount could be a record for an American corporation if paid.
The U.S. authorities accused the corporation of evading federal taxes for almost a decade by shifting a significant portion of its income to foreign divisions.
Despite the court's verdict, Coca-Cola said that the U.S. authorities erroneously interpreted and incorrectly applied the requirements of the law to it. For this reason, the company intends to file an appeal.