 "International standards applied in Starbucks tax deal: Dutch govt")
The Dutch government said on Wednesday it was "surprised" by a European Commission decision on its tax deal with Starbucks and that it was convinced the arrangement was in line with international standards.
The EU regulator said Starbucks' tax deal with the Dutch authorities constitutes illegal state aid and the Netherlands must recover between 20-30 million euros in back taxes from the coffee giant.
"The fact that the Commission observes that there would be state aid in the Starbucks file raises a lot of questions," the Dutch said in a statement. "The Netherlands is convinced that actual international standards are applied."