Swedish Government: Saab's Books Were Cooked

Looks like GM may have done some creative accounting after all – at least according to Swedish Government and their consulting firm KPMG. As we’ve reported the last couple of days, Saab’s rescue has been hanging by a thread due to questions around the company’s financial situation prior to the start of the financial crisis. Saab needs the EU to approve the Swedish Government’s guarantee of an EIB loan to Koenigsegg group if the deal is going to go through. If Saab, during the summer of 2008 – when the financial crisis started – were not in sound financial condition, the EU cannot, will not, approve Swedish government’s guarantees to the EIB loan, and the loan will not be granted. And reports from di.se yesterday almost laid that possibility to rest, with reports that GM had lost $ 5.100,- on each Saab-car sold during the last 8 years. Now, as commentator dlfcohn and others at ttac, as well as several commentators at di.se have pointed out, creative accounting can be useful in major corporates i.e to avoid taxes in tax-heavy countries. This, apparently (at least according to Swed.gov’t/KPMG) was the case with GM/Saab.

Sources from within Saab have told automotorsport.se that GM has never been interested in reporting taxabale gains in Sweden. Revenues from US sales were never declared in Sweden, but rather went straight to GM. A number of components (including engines) had much higher internal prices than Saab’s own in-house-produced components to benefit other areas with lower tax laws. Saab’s financing company has not been included in Saabs accounts, and the list goes on. Clearly, argues the Swedish government, Saab was as healthy as it could be considering it was rigged by GM to show no profit in Sweden.

If the EU-commision accepts this report, and agrees following their own investigation, they have two months to make a decision to Saab’s fate. Commentators believe the conclusion will be positive, and that it will arrive before the end of this year.