3% tax on revenues and not on the profits of digital giants, from Google to Amazon, from Uber to Facebook. Here is the Commission's proposal, the Webtax of the future to put an end to the tax evasion of large groups in the digital economy.
Companies with a global turnover of at least €750 million would be affected, of which €50 million in the European Union. Guaranteed revenue: 5 billion. As soon as it is presented, one already wonders if it will really be introduced. The impression is that we find ourselves in a paradoxical situation: the proposal has been targeted even before it was presented.
Two days ago, in a meeting of the ambassadors of the member states of the Union, the rejection by the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus emerged. Tomorrow, the heads of state and government will discuss it and the disagreements will re-emerge. France, Italy, Germany and Spain had pushed hard for the Commission's initiative.
The Webtax was born as a stopgap solution, pending an international agreement at the G20. But the US has already indicated that they are against it. Consequently, there is already talk of setting up enhanced cooperation (9 countries are enough to start with) given that the EU is proceeding unanimously on tax matters.
Given how things went with the Tobin Tax, the tax on financial transactions, this path does not bode well: the enhanced cooperation on the Tobin Tax has remained in the drawer.
