Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. got a preview of what theEuropean Union may have in store for them after regulators orderedStarbucks Corp. and a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV unit to repaymillions of euros in back taxes.

The EU said the coffee company and the Italian carmaker werehanded illegal fiscal deals by the Netherlands and Luxembourg andordered them to repay as much as 30 million euros (US$34 million).Wednesday's decision sets up a showdown with Apple and Amazon,which are also embroiled in the tax probe.

“These first two decisions may just be testing the waters to seewhat the reaction will be, before they start with the really bigones—Apple and Amazon,” said Marc Sanders, a partner at Taxand, aglobal firm of tax advisers. The Apple and Amazon cases “will havethe same results, potentially with higher recoveries.”

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