OAO Neftyanaka Kompaniya Yukos v Russia

In OAO Neftyanaka Kompaniya Yukos v Russia (ECHR Case 14902/04) a Russian oil company (N) originally owned by the State had been privatised in 1996.

In 2003 the tax authority carried out a detailed tax inspection and formed the opinion that N had a large tax liability for 2000 in that it had purported to trade through sham companies registered in low-tax areas of Russia such as Mordoviya and Kalmykiya.

The tax authority ordered N to pay tax arrears of more than €1 000 000 000 and a penalty of more than €500 000 000.

N failed to pay and the tax authority took proceedings in the Moscow City Commercial Court.

The court gave judgment for the tax authority and the Federal Commercial Court upheld this decision holding...