Oil giant Yukos in talks with Moscow to settle tax bill

[dArKeR]

AFP , MOSCOW
The giant Russian oil company Yukos is discussing the settlement of a multi-billion-dollar tax claim against it with the tax ministry, the Interfax news agency quoted a top minister as saying yesterday.

"There is cooperation on the possibility of settling the claim," Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said.

Yukos and the tax ministry are in litigation over the ministry's claim for more than 99 billion rubles (US$3.4 billion) in unpaid taxes, in addition to extra fines and interest.

Yukos, which has been under investigation for nearly a year, has warned it cannot pay the bill because of a freeze imposed on its assets and will be forced to declare bankruptcy if it is ordered to pay the claim immediately.

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