Brussels, 16/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - After Commissioner Semeta, who on 10 January 2013 encouraged the new Irish Presidency to take advantage of its six months of presidency of the Council of Ministers of the EU to get the European Commission's anti-tax evastion action plan adopted (see EUROPE 10764) and make substantial progress on various tax issues currently being negotiated (enhancd cooperation on a FTT, VAT and an energy tax) and other tax measures, like the common consolidated tax basis for corporate tax, savings tax and revision of tax deals with five tax havens, the Greens/EFA Group at the European Parliament called on the Irish Presidency on Wednesday 16 January to take action on tax matters by introducing a range of initiatives to clamp down on tax fraud and tax evasion and the way multinationals wriggle out of tax.
“The role of Ireland in facilitating large multinationals to avoid their tax responsibilities to avoid their tax responsibilities for carried out throughout the EU has been well-documented. However, Ireland now has a unique opportunity at the helm of the European Union to set the record straight. This means proactively leading moves to reform EU rules on taxation, with a view to eliminating the loopholes that allow tax avoidance and dumping to take place. Unfortunately the programme of the Irish Presidency of the EU Council does not prioritise that urgent matter”, state the Greens, urging the Irish Presidency to implement the European pact that the Greens are calling for.
The Greens have called for a European tax pact which would make the harmonised company tax rules compulsory in the EU27 (it is optional in the Commisson's draft legislation) to help prevent companies from avoiding tax by shifting profits around between its subsidiaries, coupled with a minimum 25% corporate tax rate to eliminate the scope for tax dumping; the removal of loopholds in the EU tax rules that make it possible for multinationals to shift profits from high-tax to low-tax member states or tax havens outside the EU, by inter alia setting standard rules for tax deals with non-EU countries and anti-abuse clauses in the parent-subsidiary and interest and royalites rule; - tackling tax havens through the introduction of a common definition of what constitutes a tax haven and automatic penalties against tax havens that fail to comply with EU rules; - coordinating capital gains tax within the EU27; - coordinating and improving taxation on natural resources and fuel excise duty to prevent people crossing the border to fill up on cheapter petrol and also to aid in tackling the impact of climate change. The Greens recommend an increase in the minimum tax levels laid down in the energy taxation directive and for the directive's exemptions to be scrapped. (FG/transl.fl)