The first vice-president of the European Commission (EC), Frans Timmermans, called for “a European response” so that large digital companies such as Google, Apple or Amazon “pay taxes like everyone else”.
Timmermans, the candidate of the European Socialists to preside over the Community Executive, made these statements during an informative meeting held at the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid.
Seeking justice in tax competition
The Dutch socialist faced the Member States that seek individual agreements with the digital giants since that generates “an injustice in tax competition” in the community territory.
“It is unfair both for citizens and companies that pay their taxes,” he said.
The European Commission last year imposed a fine of 2.420 million euros to Google for abuse of dominant position and forced Luxembourg to recover 250 million in taxes unpaid by Amazon, while in 2016 asked Ireland to recover 13,000 million in rates not paid by Apple.
Also published on Medium.