Slavneft Faces Back Taxes Demand
- By Unknown
- Feb. 26 2008 00:00

A Kamlyk-based subsidiary of Slavneft, currently controlled by Gazprom and TNK-BP, is facing a tax bill for 2003.
Tax authorities have presented oil firm Slavneft, controlled by Gazprom and BP's Russian venture TNK-BP, with $10 million in back tax claims.
Slavneft was working "as usual" after police took documents related to purported tax evasion by a subsidiary in 2003, spokeswoman Maria Gridneva said Friday.
Slavneft is cooperating with the investigation into the Kalmykia-registered unit, which the producer bought after the year in question, Gridneva said, declining to elaborate.
An Interior Ministry source said a demand was brought against the unit for 2003, Vedomosti said Friday. The ministry was not available for comment.
Slavneft underwent regular international-standard audits and was regularly checked by tax authorities, the firm said. Previous audits and checks have produced no claims for 2003 through 2007, the firm said.
Gazprom became a shareholder of Slavneft in 2005, when it bought oil firm Sibneft, later renamed Gazprom Neft, from billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Therefore any tax claim, if confirmed by a court, would have no recourse to Gazprom but only to TNK-BP and Sibneft's former owners, who bought a majority in Slavneft at the end of 2002. TNK-BP declined to comment.
TNK-BP and Gazprom are also involved in talks over the giant Kovykta field, which Gazprom agreed to buy from TNK-BP last year.
Industry sources say Gazprom is eager to buy out TNK-BP's Russian shareholders completely.
Former Slavneft owner Mikhail Gutseriyev, who in 2003 headed Russneft, is currently wanted by Russian authorities on charges of tax evasion.
Reuters, Bloomberg, MT
Slavneft was working "as usual" after police took documents related to purported tax evasion by a subsidiary in 2003, spokeswoman Maria Gridneva said Friday.
Slavneft is cooperating with the investigation into the Kalmykia-registered unit, which the producer bought after the year in question, Gridneva said, declining to elaborate.
An Interior Ministry source said a demand was brought against the unit for 2003, Vedomosti said Friday. The ministry was not available for comment.
Slavneft underwent regular international-standard audits and was regularly checked by tax authorities, the firm said. Previous audits and checks have produced no claims for 2003 through 2007, the firm said.
Gazprom became a shareholder of Slavneft in 2005, when it bought oil firm Sibneft, later renamed Gazprom Neft, from billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Therefore any tax claim, if confirmed by a court, would have no recourse to Gazprom but only to TNK-BP and Sibneft's former owners, who bought a majority in Slavneft at the end of 2002. TNK-BP declined to comment.
TNK-BP and Gazprom are also involved in talks over the giant Kovykta field, which Gazprom agreed to buy from TNK-BP last year.
Industry sources say Gazprom is eager to buy out TNK-BP's Russian shareholders completely.
Former Slavneft owner Mikhail Gutseriyev, who in 2003 headed Russneft, is currently wanted by Russian authorities on charges of tax evasion.
Reuters, Bloomberg, MT