Perrigo Faces $1.8 Billion Tax Fight with Irish Authorities

Irish tax authorities slapped a unit of pharmaceuticals firm Perrigo Co Plc. with a 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion) tax assessment, one of the biggest demands in the history of the state.

The so-called “notice of assessment” relates to the 2013 sale by a Perrigo subsidiary, Elan Pharma International Limited, of intellectual property tied to the drug Tysabri and related assets to Biogen Inc., Perrigo said in a filing. It said it’s planning to fight the case.

The company treated income from the sale as trading income which is taxed at 12.5 percent. Irish authorities say it should be treated ...