Volkswagen Sues India to Quash $1.4-Billion Tax Demand, Filing Shows

VOLKSWAGEN HAS SUED Indian authorities to quash an "impossibly enormous" tax demand of $1.4 billion, arguing the ask is contradictory to New Delhi's import taxation rules for car parts and will hamper the company's business plans, court papers show.

- ADITYA KALRA, ARPAN CHATURVEDI & ADITI SHAH

Volkswagen's unit, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, also told the High Court in Mumbai the tax dispute puts at risk its investments of $1.5 billion in India, and is detrimental to the foreign investment climate, according to the 105-page filing which is not public but was reviewed by Reuters.

In the biggest ever import tax demand, India in September slapped a $1.4 billion tax notice on Volkswagen for using a strategy to break down imports of some VW, Skoda and Audi cars into many individual parts to pay a lower duty.