Tax Evasion

Shell Tax Secrecy: Same Playbook, Different Century — And Please Don’t Mention the 23%

Oct 9th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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From Swiss trademarks and Bahamas trading profits to Dutch tax secrecy, Shell’s financial history has acquired an impressive recurring theme: when the numbers become interesting, the explanation becomes complicated. Very complicated.

SATIRE — based on documented events, published investigations and official regulatory records.

After three Shell tax articles in a single morning, readers might reasonably wonder whether we are in danger of becoming repetitive.

Not at all.

Shell has thoughtfully provided several decades of material.

Today we learned that the Dutch Ministry of Finance cannot discuss Shell’s leaked transfer-pricing arrangements because they remain protected by fiscal confidentiality — despite the relevant documents having been leaked, published, analysed by researchers, debated by tax academics, defended by Shell and placed before Parliament. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Dutch Ministry of Finance says leaked Shell tax documents remain confidential: Cannot Confirm What Everyone Has Already Read

Oct 9th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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THE HAGUE — The Dutch Ministry of Finance this week reaffirmed its commitment to fiscal secrecy by declining to discuss documents that have been published online, analysed by researchers, reported by journalists, criticised by a law professor, defended by Shell, and summarised in parliamentary questions anyone can download.

Headline options

  1. Dutch Government Confirms It Cannot Confirm What Everyone Has Already Read
  2. Shell Tax Files: The Only People in the Netherlands Not Allowed to Discuss Them Are the Ones Who Checked Them
  3. Ministry of Finance Unveils New Doctrine: “Secret Means Secret, Even When It’s on the Internet”
  4. 37 Employees, $6.2 Billion, Zero Comment: The Hague Invokes Tax Secrecy Over Leak Everyone Has Read
  5. Parliament Told to Read SOMO Report “Like Everyone Else”
  6. Dutch Tax Authority Neither Confirms Nor Denies Having Seen Shell (Or the Netherlands)
  7. Breaking: Government Sees No Evidence of Problem It Is Legally Unable to Look Into Publicly

Dutch Government Confirms It Cannot Confirm What Everyone Has Already Read

Ministry of Finance says leaked Shell documents remain confidential “in the special legal sense that does not involve anyone not knowing them”

THE HAGUE — The Dutch Ministry of Finance this week reaffirmed its commitment to fiscal secrecy by declining to discuss documents that have been published online, analysed by researchers, reported by journalists, criticised by a law professor, defended by Shell, and summarised in parliamentary questions anyone can download. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Dutch Government Refuses to Reveal What It Knows About Shell Tax Leaks — Citing Tax Secrecy

Oct 9th, 2026
by John Donovan.
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Parliament asked whether Shell’s leaked transfer-pricing arrangements were known to the Dutch tax authority and whether they complied with the law. The government’s answer, in substance: it cannot say.

“Shell rejects allegations of improper tax avoidance or illegality.”

A fresh Dutch parliamentary response has added an important new layer to the controversy surrounding the Shell Files — the cache of leaked Shell transfer-pricing documents published this summer by SOMO and Follow the Money.

On 5 October 2026, Dutch State Secretary for Finance E. Eerenberg answered a detailed series of parliamentary questions about Shell’s transfer pricing.

The questions went directly to the heart of the affair.

Did the Dutch tax authorities know what Shell was doing?

Were the arrangements arm’s length? read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Indian arm of Royal Dutch Shell accused of tax evasion

Apr 25th, 2013
by John Donovan.
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The Indian arm of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, which has been accused by the income tax authorities of underpricing an intra-group share transfer by Rs15,000 crore and consequently evading taxes, has filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court challenging the income tax order.

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Thu, Apr 25 2013. 05 57 PM IST

Mumbai/ New Delhi: The Indian arm of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, which has been accused by the income tax authorities of underpricing an intra-group share transfer by Rs15,000 crore and consequently evading taxes, has filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court challenging the income tax order.

The petition filed on Wednesday will come up for hearing on 3 May.

Mint reported on 3 February that following the notice, which is one of the biggest transfer pricing orders by the income tax department, Shell India Pvt. Ltd plans to challenge the assessment.
“Shell confirms that it has filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court challenging the draft tax order. Shell has always maintained that it will continue to evaluate all options for redress available to resolve this tax dispute,” the company in an emailed statement. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

Shell fraud and tax evasion in Ethiopia

May 4th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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The headquarters of Libya Oil Ethiopia Ltd, located on Aba Sebsib Avenue (Debre Zeit Road) in Gotera.

Oil Libya Ltd was ordered last week to pay 210 million Br in back taxes for the purchase of shares from Shell Ethiopia Ltd, to the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA).

Shell Ethiopia, which was established pursuant to the United Kingdom (UK) Companies Act, was engaged in the distribution of petroleum products in Ethiopia since 1948. Shell Petroleum, a London based company, was the major shareholder with 587,813 of the company’s total 587,817 shares. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.

P684.6-million tax case against Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp

Aug 18th, 2004
by John Donovan.
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abs-cbnnews.com (Philippines): “Shell used fraudulently acquired tax-credit certificates to settle its liabilities with the government”

BIR appealing P.7-B case vs Shell; solons vow probe

By DAXIM LUCAS and JODEAL CADACIO

TODAY Reporters

18 August 04

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will appeal the recent decision of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) to dismiss a P684.6-million tax case against Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., one of two oil companies accused of using fraudulently obtained tax-credit certificates.

BIR officials declared their plan to appeal the case, as lawmakers denounced the apparent bungling by unidentified officials of several cases that caused the State to lose nearly P2 billion in collection cases, and vowed an investigation. read more

*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.