Ford factory in Russia to face serious tax claims

One of the most ambitious projects on car assemblage in Russia faced serious problems. Saint Petersbourg, region tax inspectorate of Vsevolod district brought tax claims to a Russian Ford factory in Vsevolozhsk, which is managed by a closed company Ford motor company", an official from the Federal Administration tax service in Leningrad region told Interfax.

However, another official from the Federal Administration tax service confirmed, that two bills of indictment about the infringement committed during the tax paying were compiled. Two bills of indictment are already compiled, and they are being disputed in court. Now the third bill is being prepared", the official specified. He also noted, that the sum of tax claims is far more than 40 mln rubles ($1, 428571)".

According to the information he provided, tax claims to the car-producer are connected with the inconsistency between the Federal tax legislation and local normative documentary, which provides tax facility for investors.

The district tax inspectorate representative confirmed the existence of tax claims to Ford motor company", but refused to give any comments, having referred to tax secret.

If the agency information will be confirmed, the fact will open a new page in the history of tax claims in Russia. The thing is that they will be brought for the first time to the unprofitable works and will not be connected with profit tax. According to Vedomosti newspaper, the net profit of Ford's Russian daughter" amounted to only 332 mln rubles ($12,000000). And even this money the company earned selling import cars, experts say. The production of Ford Focus in Vsevolzhsk was and remains unprofitable because of Ford's spending on supporting low prices on the output, News.ru reports.

The Russian factory Ford is the first and one of the most ambitious projects on foreign trademark cars assemblage in Russia. Thus, it is the only European ford factory, where they produce Ford Focus cars of the second generation in all four body modifications: sedan, five-doored hatchback, universal and compartment. Ford is going to produce 60,000 cars in 2007.

Until nowadays tobacco company JTI faced the large-scaliest tax claims among all other non-rough companies in Russia. Claims of $70 mln were brought to its daughter" JTI of marketing and sales". The company managed to secure the second legal investigation in court, which is fixed on Sept. 16.