On Wednesday 21 March 2018 the European Commission has proposed new rules to ensure that digital business activities are taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way in the EU. The measures would make the EU a global leader in designing tax laws fit for the modern economy and the digital age. Peter Kavelaars, Professor of Fiscal Economics at Erasmus School of Economics, gave an interview for BNR in which he explains that the new plan basically means that big digital business activities will be taxed on their revenues.
Member States seek permanent and lasting solutions to ensure a fair share of tax revenues from online activities, as urgently called for by EU leaders in October 2017. Profits made through lucrative activities, such as selling user-generated data and content, are not captured by today's tax rules. Member States are now starting to seek fast, unilateral solutions to tax digital activities, which creates a legal minefield and tax uncertainty for business. A coordinated approach is the only way to ensure that the digital economy is taxed in a fair, growth-friendly and sustainable way.
- More information
For more information read the article on the Dutch BNR website, 21 March 2018.