“The products were supposed to be imported as parts and were supposed to be assembled in Romania for the tax exemption to apply. However, Nokia received the products really assembled and its employees in Romania merely moved them from one box to another, without processing them in any way,” Comanita explained.
He said Nokia thus breached EU law, which only allows custom tax exemptions on imports of parts that are then assembled in European Union countries.
Romania’s tax authority ANAF on Friday impounded Nokia’s assets in Jucu, northwestern Romania, for a $10 million debt the Finnish mobile giant has amassed in unpaid custom taxes.
“A check-up has revealed the company has $10 million in unpaid customs taxes,” said tax authority chief Sorin Blejnar.
He said a check-up on Nokia started in 2009 was completed a few days ago and the tax authority levied distrait on the company’s assets for a $10 million debt.
“The measure is preventive and does not affect the company’s activity,” Blejnar added.
The tax authority has impounded the company’s assets stretching onto a 28,000 square-meter surface, including offices and production halls.
Nokia, which started making mobile phones in Romania in February 2008 following a EUR60 million investment, announced in September it is closing its production line in Romania by the end of the year and moving operations to Asia. Nokia will be laying off 2,200 employees in Romania.