Mehr als 130 Mitglieder des Europäischen Parlaments haben Abgeordnete des US-Kongresses um Unterstützung bei der Errichtung eines effizienten Steuersystems für Unternehmen, das insbesondere auch die Digitalbranche einschließt, gebeten. Zugleich sprachen sie sich gegen Drohungen der US-Administration hinsichtlich einer Digitalsteuer in einigen EU-Staaten aus. Helmut Scholz unterstützt das Anliegen, diese Themen auch in die bilateralen Parlamentskonsultationen einzubringen. Wir dokumentieren den Brief.
Brussels, 22 January 2020
Ways and Means Committee Committee on Finance
U.S. House of Representatives
United States Senate
Concerning: Digital Services Tax and international negotiations on Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting
Dear Members of the U.S. Congress,
At a time of growing scepticism about globalisation, increased pressure on our social safety
net, and deep concern about levels of inequality, our citizens demand concrete action. From
the heartlands of Michigan to the outskirts of Milan, many call for a fairer economy and
society. To face these challenges, we must put an end to the tax practices of many large
multinational corporations, which all-too-often find grey zones in the law that allow them to
pay fewer taxes than they should. This leaves individuals with moderate incomes and small
and medium-sized companies, the backbone of our economies, at a disadvantage.
Our citizens are right to demand equal treatment and protection. Over the past decades,
corporate tax rates have plummeted. Between 1995 and 2017, US federal corporate tax
revenue fell 30 percent. In the EU, the average nominal tax rate has decreased by 32 percent
since 2000. It is of the upmost importance that companies, and not only individuals,
contribute fairly to the sustainability of public finances. To achieve this, we must put an end
to the profit shifting of billions to tax havens.
The key economic assumption that taxes are paid where profits are booked no longer holds
true. This is not an inevitable consequence of globalisation. Lack of coordination has allowed
this phenomenon to thrive. In a world dominated by multinational corporations, unilateral
solutions do not deliver optimal results. Instead, they are opening new loopholes. The BEPS
2.0 negotiations at the OECD level are the perfect opportunity to modernise the principles
that govern our out dated corporate tax system, and close loopholes, tackle our system’s
shortcomings and secure a fair taxation for our citizens. At the same time, broadening the tax
base reduces the need for increased tax rates.
Our companies and citizens have adapted to our new weightless economy; so should the tax
rules that govern its exchanges. We should move away from the arm’s length principle and
towards forms of unitary taxation. Concepts like minimum level of taxation, harmonisation of
the tax base, and cross-border consolidation of taxable profit should be considered. Such was
the motivation behind last December’s European Parliament resolution on the matter, which
we have attached to this letter.
There is widespread support, in society and in politics, to help middle and less privileged
classes and stop letting some get away from their civic duties - such as paying taxes - which
we should face collectively. In addition, many companies are calling for more stable and less
complicated tax rules. As such we, the undersigned MEPs, ask you to join forces. We should
push our respective administrations to take a constructive stance in the ongoing OECD
negotiations and work to re-establish a well-functioning tax system. This means encouraging
governments to tax companies, including digitalized companies, that currently pay minimal
or no taxes. On the other hand, threats to impose tariffs in response to such measures should
be condemned by both our institutions.
We hope that jointly, we can stimulate the development of a fair system in which all, rich and
poor, pay their fair share.
Yours sincerely,
Scott Ainslie, MEP
François Alfonsi, MEP
Rasmus Andresen, MEP
Eric Andrieu, MEP
Marc Angel, MEP
Attila Ara-Kovács, MEP
Petras Auštrevičius, MEP
Carmen Avram, MEP
Traian Băsescu, MEP
Marek Belka, MEP
Brando Benifei, MEP
Monika Beňová, MEP
Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, MEP
Benoît Biteau, MEP
Simona Bonafè, MEP
Marc Botenga, MEP
Gilles Boyer, MEP
Carlo Calenda, MEP
Damien Carême, MEP
Isabel Carvalhais, MEP
Mohammed Chahim, MEP
Olivier Chastel, MEP
Ellie Chowns, MEP
Miroslav Číž, MEP
David Cormand, MEP
Ignazio Corrao, MEP
Seb Dance, MEP
Nicola Danti, MEP
Paolo de Castro, MEP
Jérémy Decerle, MEP
Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, MEP
Karima Delli, MEP
Klára Dobrev, MEP
Estrella Dura Ferrandis, MEP
Pascal Durand, MEP
Bas Eickhout, MEP
Tanja Fajon, MEP
Jonás Fernández, MEP
Giuseppe Ferrandino, MEP
Niels Fuglsang, MEP
Ibán García del Blanco, MEP
Eider Gardiazábal Rubial, MEP
Luis Garicano, MEP
Dino Giarrusso, MEP
Sven Giegold, MEP
Neena Gill, MEP
Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP
Nicolás González Casares, MEP
B-1047 Brussels 60 Rue Wiertz
eplobelgium@europarl.europa.eu
+32 (0)2 28 42111
Maria Grapina, MEP
Christophe Grudler, MEP
Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP
Bernard Guetta, MEP
José Gusmão, MEP
Hannes Heide, MEP
Eero Heinäluoma, MEP
Martin Hojsík, MEP
Alícia Homs, MEP
Antony Hook, MEP
Ivars Ijabs, MEP
Yannick Jadot, MEP
Jackie Jones, MEP
Agnes Jongerius, MEP
Jude Kirton-Darling, MEP
Petros Kokkalis, MEP
Kateřina Konečná, MEP
Dietmar Köster, MEP
Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, MEP
Aurore Lalucq, MEP
Philippe Lamberts, MEP
Bernd Lange, MEP
Pierre Larrouturou , MEP
Alexandra Louise Rosenfield Phillips, MEP
César Luena, MEP
Pierfrancesco Majorino, MEP
Aušra Maldeikienė, MEP
Adriana Maldonado López, MEP
Margarida Marques, MEP
Pedro Marques, MEP
Fabio Massimo Castaldo, MEP
Marisa Matias, MEP
Shaffaq Mohammed, MEP
Csaba Molnár, MEP
Alessandra Moretti, MEP
Javier Nart, MEP
Luděk Niedermayer, MEP
Juozas Olekas, MEP
Younous Omarjee, MEP
Dimitrios Papadimoulis, MEP
Piernicola Pedicini, MEP
Mauri Pekkarinen, MEP
Mikuláš Peksa, MEP
Pina Picierno, MEP
Giuliano Pisapia, MEP
Manuel Pizarro, MEP
Luisa Porritt, MEP
Samira Rafaela, MEP
Soroya Rodriquez Ramos, MEP
Evelyn Regner, MEP
Frédérique Ries, MEP
Dominique Riquet, MEP
Sheila Ritchie, MEP
Michèle Rivasi, MEP
Sándor Rónai, MEP
Caroline Roose, MEP
Mounir Satouri, MEP
Christel Schaldemose, MEP
Andreas Schieder, MEP
Martin Schirdewan, MEP
Helmut Scholz, MEP
Joachim Schuster, MEP
Molly Scott Cato, MEP
Stéphane Séjourné, MEP
Günther Sidl, MEP
Radoslaw Sikorski, MEP
Susana Solís, MEP
Maria Spyraki, MEP
Ivan Stefanec, MEP
Tineke Strik, MEP
Paul Tang, MEP
Vera Tax, MEP
Irene Tinagli, MEP
Patrizia Toia, MEP
Nils Torvalds, MEP
Marie Toussaint, MEP
Ernest Urtasun, MEP
Kathleen van Brempt, MEP
Kim van Sparrentak, MEP
Tom Vandendriessche, MEP
Hilde Vautmans, MEP
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, MEP
Bettina Vollath, MEP
Lara Wolters, MEP
Salima Yenbou, MEP
Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, MEP
Carlos Zorrinho, MEP
