'Cadbury used non-existent factory to avoid $46 million in taxes'

Cadbury Plc, now part of Mondelez International Inc, used a nonexistent factory in India to avoid about $46 million in taxes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a report by the Indian tax authorities.

Cadbury's Indian unit manipulated invoices and other documents to get an exemption from taxes available to companies that began production in new plants in Himachal Pradesh by March 31, 2010, the Journal said.

The company was reviewing the contents of the show-cause notice and was cooperating fully with the Indian authorities, the Journal said, quoting a Mondelez spokesman.

Mondelez could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters.