STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 13, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Swedish tax authorities have decided to raise Observer AB's taxable income for year 2000 with approximately SEK 440 million, which would result in tax costs of SEK 173 million. The decision concerns the sale of Sifo Research & Consulting.
The company considers the decision to be unfounded and intends to appeal against the decision.
Observer is of the opinion that the tax authorities' decision will not result in any increased tax cost and will, until further notice, not make any provision due to the decision.
Observer is the world's leading company in media monitoring and communication evaluation. Observer's services enable the clients to identify relevant target groups, distribute information, monitor their coverage and evaluate their communication.
Observer AB is quoted on the Attract 40 section of Stockholmsborsen's O-list and has approximately 24,000 shareholders. The company has around 2,400 employees and a turnover of slightly over SEK 1.6 billion in 2004. Observer operates in the U.S., U.K., Sweden, Canada, Germany, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
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