Swedish Government: Saab's Books Were Cooked

Thor Johnsen
by Thor Johnsen

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.



Consulting firm KPMG has been commisioned by the Swedish Government to go through Saab’s finances, and examine the cash-flow and sales. The consolidated report, from which the government has produced an 80-page document to the EU, concludes that Saab was not in any financial trouble during summer of 2008, due partly to GM having infused capital into the company. Saab themselves has apparantly also helped document that they were in fact in good financial health mid 2008.

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.

Thor Johnsen
Thor Johnsen

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  • Cthill Cthill on Nov 18, 2009

    There is nothing particularly unusual about this. All multinationals move the money around to the lest taxing jurisdiction. If I recall Toyota got fined for the same sort of thing by the Australian Tax Office about 10 years ago.

  • GS650G GS650G on Nov 19, 2009

    Are the Swedes surprised by this, angered, or looking for redress? No one, not even GM , is going to sit by and pay a tax if they can avoid it. This is the cat and mouse game we all play. There is the company, the shareholders, and the government. Pick any two as partners but never all three. Once SAAB is comfortably nestled in as a Swedish company again they can commence to picking the flesh from SAAB like in the good old days. Isn't that one of the reasons they ended up sold to GM before?

  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
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