The EU Says Starbucks Created a Shady Shell Company to Avoid Paying Taxes

The shady-looking Dutch headquarters. (Starbucks has since relocated to London.) Starbucks's ongoing tax troubles in Europe are suddenly full of intrigue and mystery that kind of sound like a Bond side plot: EU regulators have zeroed in on a "mysterious" business simply named for a Seattle street that they say "seemed to serve a vital role" in lowering the company's tax burden, before abruptly disappearing once they started asking questions. Starbucks adamantly denies not paying its fair share o...