Innovation and digital – FEPS Post Summit Briefing: European Council, 28 June 2018

The Council’s commitment to the fights against tax avoidance, evasion and fraud at global level […]

04/07/2018

The Council’s commitment to the fights against tax avoidance, evasion and fraud at global level merits a positive mention. In line with the agreement that Chancellor Merkel and President Macron reached in Meseberg last month, the Council decided to take forward Moscovici’s proposals of a digital tax, which is likely to come to an agreement in early 2019. The Commission’s plan to introduce a 3% tax on corporate turnover from digital advertising and online intermediation services certainly represents a positive step to make US-based digital giants pay their fair share to the European economy. It is also the right move into the direction of collecting taxes where profits are made, i.e. where companies have significant interactions with users through digital channels.

Nonetheless, two risks are evident here. First, progress towards a digital tax should not divert the attention from what matters most, namely a modernisation and reform of the entire corporate tax system in Europe. Member states should rather commit to the introduction of a common corporate tax base (CCTB) and common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB), as the priority should be on addressing tax competition and taxing fairly all giants, not only the digital ones. Second, despite the rather modern design of the digital tax put forward by the Commission, it is still not clear how it will be ensured that it actually impacts big digital companies rather than their clients, users and SMEs which make use if their services.

Read the full briefing

Find all related publications
Publications
28/03/2023

Back to the Dark Ages?

Q-commerce, rapid retail and the changing landscape of retail work
28/03/2023

Getting the goods

Trade unions and strategy in the quick-commerce sector
24/03/2023

Making Next-Generation EU a permanent tool

Recovery Watch series
21/03/2023

Is an EU-wide approach to the mental health crisis necessary?

Demand for an EU mental health strategy existed before the pandemic but has intensified since. […]
Find all related news
News
13/03/2023

Digital programme: Algorithms at the workplace

FEPS, together with Nordic partners, launched a Digital Program on algorithmic management and workers' rights
20/02/2023

When will European women start earning the same as men?

Spoiler alert: that day hasn’t arrived yet
20/02/2023

Let’s end involuntary unemployment!

European survey on the perception of unemployment and publicly funded jobs
07/02/2023

New study on how and why social issues have increased in prominence during the EP negotiations

Progress towards inclusive economic transition but need for further improvements in terminology and framing of vulnerable groups
Find all related in the media
In the media

Research shows Ireland is too reliant on voluntary sector for mental health services

by RTÉ Radio 1 27/03/2023
RTÉ Radio 1 talks about our case studies 'Is an EU-wide approach to the mental health crisis necessary?', published in collaboration with Think-tank for Action on Social Change (TASC)

Irish mental health services ‘too hospital-centric’

by Irish Examiner 23/03/2023
Irish Examiner article on FEPS and TASC policy study "Is an EU-wide approach to the Mental Health Crisis necessary?"

Ireland lacks key mental health services, report finds

by RTÉ 23/03/2023
RTÉ article on FEPS and TASC policy study "Is an EU-wide approach to the Mental Health Crisis necessary?"

‘No one is unemployable’: the French social experiment

by EUobserver 21/03/2023
EUobserver article on unemployment in the EU with a mention to FEPS' policy brief 'A Job Guarantee for Europe.'