Sweden pursuing unpaid millions from MultiPoker
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Following requests by Skatteverket, the Swedish tax authority, for confidential information from operators of online businesses in Sweden, in conjunction with use of Xenon, a tax evasion detecting web spider, Multipoker.com is being billed for over US $6 million.
PartyGaming Plc purchased MultiPoker from EPR Investments of the British Virgin Islands two years ago this month. The tax claim bears on pre-2005 activities, and PartyGaming Plc has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.
Only Svenska Spel, the country’s gaming monopoly, is allowed to run poker games involving money in the country. The monopoly is on its last legs at the moment due to EU pressure, but Sweden is keeping it alive as long as feasible. Of course, declaring and paying taxes will still be required even when private companies are allowed to operate in the country.
EPR Investments of the British Virgin Islands was apparently an empty front designed to shield the operators with the BVI tax codes while all the business in fact took place in Sweden, including residence of members of the board of directors and managers of the company, some of whom were arrested this past May.
