PARIS AND BERLIN READY TO SET A MINIMUM CORPORATE TAX RATE IN THE ABSENCE OF A EUROPEAN AGREEMENT
PRAGUE (Archyde.com) – France and Germany plan to introduce a national minimum corporate tax if the European Union fails to reach an agreement on the matter, the two countries’ finance ministers said on Friday.
Hungary opposes the adoption by the EU of a minimum tax on corporations of 15%, which would have made it possible to implement within the bloc this project drawn up at the global level.
France and Germany have taken the initiative within the EU by deciding to introduce a minimum tax from 2023.
“We strongly support a European approach. We are trying to convince all member states, and especially one in particular,” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said ahead of a meeting of EU finance ministers in Prague. , alongside his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire.
“We have taken the decision to introduce minimum corporate taxation in Germany if there is no European agreement on this, and I think others will be open to a similar approach.”
According to Paris, European countries must find a way to adopt the draft minimum corporate tax rate, without waiting for Hungary.
According to Hungary, this project might harm the European economy, which is suffering from runaway inflation and a growing energy crisis, with Russia reducing its gas deliveries, which is also reflected in a spike in oil prices. electricity.
Bruno Le Maire said that it was necessary to show “justice” in times of economic crisis, which implies a rapid implementation of the plan which has already been drawn up for several years. National-level solutions will be considered if cooperation proves impossible, he added.
“Now is the time to make this decision, we shouldn’t discuss it,” Le Maire said. “We should decide and implement this minimum corporate tax by next year,” he said.
(Report Jason Hovet; French version Dagmarah Mackos, edited by Jean-Michel Bélot)
