Case Information
- Court: Court of Justice of the European Union (First Chamber)
- Case No: C‑484/19
- Applicant: Lexel AB (Sweden)
- Defendant: Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency)
- Judgment Date: 20 January 2021
This case is translated from the original language into English.
In Lexel AB v Skatteverket (Case C‑484/19), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Swedish tax legislation, which denied Lexel AB the right to deduct interest payments made to a group company located in another EU Member State (France), infringed upon the freedom of establishment protected under Article 49 TFEU. The judgment is crucial for multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating across borders within the EU as it clarifies that differences in tax treatment of intra-group cross-border transactions are impermissible unless clearly justified by public interest reasons such as anti-avoidance.