Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Sunak urged to back Biden corporate tax plan ‘worth £13.5bn a year’

Sunak urged to back Biden corporate tax plan ‘worth £13.5bn a year’

Campaigners say US global blueprint would help raise billions from multinationals and tech giants

Rishi Sunak has been urged to throw his full weight behind US proposals for a global minimum corporate tax rate after analysis showed it would bring in an extra £13.5bn a year for the public purse.

The campaign group Tax Justice UK said the Biden administration plan would help raise billions of pounds a year for the UK exchequer by hitting multinationals and US tech companies operating in the country with higher tax bills, including firms such as Amazon, Apple, Google owner Alphabet and Facebook.

Under the US blueprint, the world’s 100 most profitable multinationals would be forced to pay taxes to national governments based on the sales they generate in each country, irrespective of where they are based. It would also establish a global minimum tax rate to help bring an end to profit-shifting by multinationals and discourage countries from undercutting each other on tax rates. Washington has suggested a rate of 21%.

Finance ministers from across Europe – including from Germany, France and the Netherlands – have welcomed the US intervention as a signal that significant global progress can be made on tackling tax avoidance by big companies and digital firms.

However, tax campaigners said the UK government had been silent on the US plans, and urged the chancellor to give his full backing to Washington. The Labour shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, also said Britain needed to play a leading role.

“Now that President Biden has moved the debate on, it’s important that our government moves to play its part,” she said.

Paul Monaghan, chief executive of the Fair Tax Mark campaign group, said other big European countries and the International Monetary Fund had responded publicly to the plan. “But we’ve heard nothing from Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak in the UK as yet,” he said.

“The world has a once in a generation opportunity to embed tax justice and eradicate profit-shifting. It’s vital the UK steps up to the plate and publicly backs what the US and other progressives are trying to do.”

It is understood the UK Treasury recognises the need for an agreement on a global minimum tax rate as part of negotiations taking place at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is coordinating talks on tax reform between 135 nations.

However, sources said ministers wanted to make sure any solution was balanced and appropriately targeted, while also pointing to a track record of UK leadership on global tax reforms through the launch of a digital services tax last year. Designed as an interim measure before a global deal can be reached, the levy targets the British revenues of search engines, social media services and online marketplaces, and is similar to arrangements in France, Italy and Spain.

A Treasury spokesman said: “We welcome the US administration’s renewed commitment to reach a global solution this year.”

“Updating the international tax rules to ensure that digital businesses pay more tax in the UK, in line with their economic activities, remains a UK priority, and we will continue to work openly and constructively with international partners to develop a consensus-based solution.”

Negotiations at the OECD are expected to centre on the threshold for determining which companies are in scope, as well as the rate for a global minimum. Although aiming for a deal by mid-2021, significant hurdles remain given the lower corporate tax levied by some nations. EU members vary from as low as 9% in Hungary and 12.5% in Ireland to 32% in France and 31.5% in Portugal.

Tax Justice UK said establishing a minimum rate would bring substantial benefits, including more tax revenue for the exchequer, and addressing public anger at tax avoidance by major companies.

According to research for the group by international experts, setting the global rate at 15% would bring in an extra £8.2bn a year for the UK government, while a rate of 20% would generate £13.5bn.

Setting the minimum at 25%, the level at which Sunak will peg the UK’s domestic corporate tax rate at from 2023, up from a current level of 19%, would bring in an estimated £22.3bn, while a rate of 30% would raise £31.6bn annually.

Robert Palmer, executive director of Tax Justice UK, said: “The government should stand up and support these proposals. The UK and its tax haven network have long promoted a global race to the bottom on corporate taxes – this needs to end.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×