Early that Tuesday morning, Amazon’s offices in Milan were stormed by Italy’s financial law officers, the Guardia di Finanza. This move came under fresh scrutiny tied to suspected tax avoidance. Officials argue the tech giant might have kept vast earnings hidden.
Their method allegedly involved working across Italian borders while avoiding formal registration as a domestic entity. Though no charges are confirmed yet, the legal pressure continues building.
Amazon EU Sarl, operating out of Luxembourg, may have run substantial parts of its business in Italy from 2019 to 2024 without paying local taxes, according to investigators. A shift involving 159 employees – fired only to be brought back through another part of Amazon in 2024 is now viewed by officials as a sign of concealed activity.
Few spots escaped attention beyond Amazon’s headquarters. Homes belonging to seven managers got visited by law enforcement, while agents stepped into KPMG’s workspace too – the firm once guided Amazon.
Devices vanished from rooms: laptops, handsets, storage disks even messages erased came back into view. Attention centers on Barbara Scarafia now, high up within Amazon EU Sarl.
Another legal headache hits Amazon in Italy. Investigations have been piling up – customs matters on one front, earlier tax clashes on another. Some of those ended with payments reaching hundreds of millions of euros by the close of 2025.
Facing scrutiny, Amazon hit back at Italy’s rules, labeling them erratic while cautioning heavy fines might scare off investors. Still, legal teams insist the probes won’t stop anytime soon.
