Germany and France want to enforce with a joint compromise proposal, the controversial digital tax in Europe. A sales tax of three percent on online advertising revenues should be decided to March 2019 and January 2021 to apply, reported the news agencies dpa and AFP consistently citing EU diplomats. Prerequisite for this is that in the meantime no solution at the level of the Organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD) found.
The European Commission had originally proposed to charge for digital companies such as Google and Facebook with a global annual turnover of at least EUR 750 million as well as an online turnover of 50 million euros in Europe, three percent income tax. In conversation, however, was to take into account not only online advertising but also the sale of user data.
the Finance Ministers of The 28 EU member States to advise on this Tuesday on the digital expensive. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron calls for months, a quick decision on a EU-tax, in order to present to the citizens before the European elections in may 2019 specific results. The Federal government had set a long time on an agreement at the global level.
In a joint statement, Germany and France stress, according to information from the EU circles, now their “determination, a fair and effective tax on big digital companies”. Both sides expect, therefore, that it will not be until 2020, an agreement in the OECD framework for digital taxation, which the EU tax would be necessary. For the other case is due to be adopted at the EU level, no later than March, a Directive, which would apply from 2021. The EU digital tax would apply to the German-French plans, but for only a limited period up to 2025.
