Deals
Coke Bottler's Merger Might Lose Tax Gain to Inversion Rules
- Private-equity funds seen as regulation's possible losers
- `Companies are in a bit of a state of shock' at proposed rules
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When Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. announced a merger with two overseas counterparts last August, the Atlanta-based bottler of Coke drinks in Western Europe said the deal had nothing to do with cutting its corporate tax bills.
Now, after the U.S. Treasury Department proposed tougher-than-expected regulations designed to prevent firms’ shifting profits offshore last month, the company has a different message.