Commitments and contingent liabilities |
12 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disclosure of contingent liabilities [abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and contingent liabilities | 20. Commitments and contingent liabilities COMMITMENTS
Other commitments principally comprise commitments under contract to purchase materials and services. They do not include commitments to purchase property,
20. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES continued CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
Contingent liabilities arise in respect of litigations against group companies, investigations by competition, regulatory and fiscal authorities and obligations arising under environmental legislation. In many markets, there is a high degree of complexity involved in the local tax regimes. The majority of contingent liabilities are in respect of fiscal matters in Brazil. In addition, the Group is subject to litigation arising from alleged asbestos contamination in talcum powder products manufactured and sold decades ago. For cases where settlement is probable and can be reliably estimated, a provision has been recognised. Other cases, where the estimated financial impact cannot be reliably estimated, are unquantified contingent liabilities. In the case of fiscal matters, the known maximum exposure is the amount included in a tax assessment.
Brazil tax During 2004, and in common with many other businesses operating in Brazil, one of our Brazilian subsidiaries received a notice of infringement from the Federal Revenue Service in respect of indirect taxes regarding corporate reorganisation. The notice alleges that a 2001 reorganisation of our local corporate structure was undertaken without a valid business purpose. The 2001 reorganisation was comparable with restructuring done by many companies in Brazil. The original dispute was resolved in the courts in the Group’s favour. However, in 2013 a new assessment was raised in respect of a similar matter. Additionally, during the course of 2014 and between 2017 and 2025, other notices of infringement were issued based on the same grounds argued in the previous assessments. The total amount of the tax assessments in respect of this matter is €3,557 million (2024: €3,230 million). The Group believes that the likelihood that the Brazilian tax authorities will ultimately prevail is low, however there can be no guarantee of success in court. In each case, we believe our position is strong, so they have not been provided for and are considered to be contingent liabilities. Due to the fiscal environment in Brazil, there remains the possibility of material tax assessments related to the same matters for periods not yet assessed. We expect that tax litigation cases related to this matter may move from the Administrative to the Judicial Courts, although the exact timing is uncertain. In such case, we will be required to make a judicial deposit or provide a guarantee in respect of the disputed tax, interest and penalties. The judicial process in Brazil is likely to take a number of years to conclude. The contingent liabilities reported for indirect taxes relating to disputes with the Brazilian authorities are separate from the provisions listed in note 19. Unilever does not hold provisions and contingent liabilities for the same matters
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