Netflix in Italy Tax Evasion Probe: Reports

Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into Netflix for suspected tax evasion, the Corriere della Sera said Thursday.

The Milan probe is into "persons unknown" as the US subscription video service has neither a headquarters nor employees in Italy, the daily said.

Netflix, which landed in Italy in 2015, had some 1.4 million subscribers last year, according to the Comparitech technology site.

AFP was not able to confirm the newspaper report immediately with the financial police or Milan's public prosecutor's office.

Prosecutors in the northern Italian city have lead several major tax investigations against US web giants, allowing the Italian government to recover millions of euros in unpaid taxes.

Last year, social network Facebook agreed to pay Italy more than EUR 100 million (approximately Rs. 778 crores) after just such a probe.

Online retail giant Amazon forked out over EUR 100 million in 2017, while Google paid EUR 306 million (roughly Rs. 2,382 crores). They followed Apple, which in 2015 handed over more than EUR 300 million (roughly Rs. 2,335 crores).