Ebay withdraws functions from Switzerland for tax reasons
The retail group Ebay has moved part of its international group structure from Switzerland to the Netherlands.
This is shown by research by the Handelszeitung. Ebay previously held its international business through a company based in Switzerland. At the end of November, this was merged into a newly founded company in Amsterdam. The international business is now based in the Netherlands. Ebay, which is listed on the stock exchange, is not commenting on the restructuring. This is probably for tax reasons.
US President Donald Trump's tax reform has proved fatal for Switzerland. Swiss withholding taxes on dividends to the home country can no longer be credited in the USA. Previously irrelevant, they have now become a cost factor. A lot of money is at stake: on average, US companies have paid around CHF 400 million in withholding tax in Switzerland in recent years. Other countries such as the Netherlands or Luxembourg do not have such withholding taxes.
