Target of GE of hoax, saying that he will return the refund of the tax (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co, mired in controversy over its low U.S. 2010 tax bill, has been the target of a fake press release stating that it would be donating billions of dollars for the Federal Government.

The official-looking output, complete with the GE logo and the slogan "imagination at work", said that GE would send his tax refund 3.2 billion in 2010 back to Washington.

The yes men, a militant group known for issuing hoax statements claiming the changes in attitude major in corporate America, said that he sent the release in an email to the media Wednesday.

"This is a hoax and GE did not receive a refund, said Deirdre Latour, a spokesman for the largest U.S. conglomerate."

Parody came in the midst of a battle in Washington between the Democratic Party of President Barack Obama and the House of representatives under Republican control on the way to reduce the budget deficit of the nation.

GE shares slipped after at least two press organs, the Associated Press and Dow Jones, has reported the hoax as a fact.

AP later from its history, which AP spokesman said Paul Colford has been clearly "a case of editorial error."

Dow Jones followed his headline, cited the PA, with his refutation of GE.

"We have moved to clarify the original title as soon as we have read of the situation," said spokesman Ashley Huston.

Shares of GE fell $ 4 cents at 19.97 in afternoon trade at the beginning.

In October 2009, the Yes Men organized a fake press conference to "announce" the Chamber of Commerce of the United States had reversed its opposition to the climate change Act.

Reuters was among the agencies of press in the fall for the hoax and later withdrew from its history.

GE, based in Fairfield, Connecticut tax rate has been in the eyes of the public, as the New York Times reported last month it paid no U.S. income tax in 2010, a claim that refuses to GE.

GE recognized that his tax bill 2010 was low because of heavy losses to its GE Capital finance unit in the financial crisis.

In a speech of March in Washington, Chief Executive Jeff Immelt acknowledged that the company tries to keep his tax bill also low that it can but legally, he said.

"Our tax rate will be higher in 2011," said Immelt, which Obama in January appointed head of a new White House Panel aimed at driving job growth. "We're not in a consistent manner." There is no exception. ?

Yes men sent the release to draw attention to the approach of GE of taxes, said Andrew Boyd, who said that he was a member of the group.

"It is not patriotic, it is undemocratic, it is unfair," Boyd said in a telephone interview. "It might be legal, but it is immoral."

(Statement by Scott Malone, editing by Gerald e. McCormick, Dave Zimmerman and Ted Kerr)

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