BRUSSELS, August 5. /TASS/. Palantir, a US data analysis software provider with multiple EU government contracts, has been accused of shady tax practices in the European Union, the Brussels-based Euractiv portal wrote in an editorial.

This is the third piece written by a leading European media outlet taking jabs at Palantir. Earlier, the European edition of Politico, and UK-based Financial Times published articles exploring the dependence of European militaries and security services on this organization and its products, saying that EU member countries were looking for an alternative.

Euractiv refers to a report by "independent" UK-based Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (CICTAR), which says that Palantir, being a major contractor for European governments, defense ministries and security services, employs tax strategies that reduce the amount of tax it pays in Europe. It does this by "paying service fees to its US subsidiaries, adding deductible expenses that reduce taxable profits in Europe," the report says.

The article says that "none of the practices the report details are illegal" but emphasizes the fact that these practices are applied to revenues from government contracts.

Apart from tax schemes, the article also reiterates accusations previously voiced by Politico and Financial Times. Among other things, it names the company’s information gathering practices as "controversial" and makes a mention of political views expressed by Palantir CEO Alex Karp, saying that they "have raised eyebrows in Europe." According to the report, the company is "deeply embedded" in European public service provision.

At the same time, all three articles mention European IT company ChapsVision, which has reportedly started to challenge Palantir as a security service contractor in France and Germany.