Austria wants to introduce for Internet companies like Google and Apple own digital expensive. It was “only fair, if the Internet giants in Europe pay good tax,” said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of the Tiroler Tageszeitung. The government in Vienna will continue, therefore, “in addition to the European approach a national step”.

plans for a digital tax should, according to Short, in the course of a tax reform will be implemented, announced by the Austrian government for 2020. How high the tax will be said Shortly. Finance Minister Hartwig Löger am currently working on it and will present at a government meeting in early January figures. “The goal is clear: taxation of groups of companies, which achieve online big profits, but hardly pay taxes – such as Facebook or Amazon,” said Short.

France is waiting for European agreement

France had already announced at the beginning of December, in the year 2019, a own digital expensive to introduce, there should be no agreement at the EU level. Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said he expects by March at the latest, a European decision for such a tax. In the case of a Failure of the negotiations, the tax will be introduced “at the national level”.

Le Maire was responding to an earlier compromise reached with Germany. He provides that there should be an EU-tax for Internet companies until a solution at the level of the Organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD) fails. In this case, the tax should come in 2021.

Angela Merkel is aiming for an international solution to

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) had already made in mid-November for such an international solution, which would also involve the United States. The Federal government fears that an EU tax in the US could exacerbate corporations like Google, Apple, Facebook or Amazon’s trade dispute with Washington.

France promises of the Digital taxation is, however, a clear Signal of the ability of the EU before the European elections end of may. Member countries such as Ireland, Denmark and Sweden oppose such a tax so far vehemently.

EU decisions in tax matters must be taken unanimously. This makes agreement particularly difficult. The outgoing member of the EU, the UK is planning its own digital expensive.