Sunday 16 January 2022
At least 15 percent
Lindner is pushing for a tax for large corporations
As a measure against tax havens, more than 130 countries plan to introduce a tax of at least 15 percent for large companies. Finance Minister Lindner advocates presenting a national draft law as soon as possible. A corresponding proposal from the EU Commission is already available.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner is speeding up the implementation of the global minimum tax for large companies that has been decided at international level. The ministry told the “Wirtschaftswoche” that they wanted to present a national draft law in a timely manner to introduce the regulations on January 1, 2023. Before that, however, one would wait for a corresponding EU directive.
The first steps have already been taken in Brussels: the European Commission presented a legislative proposal. The aim of the reform is to prevent corporate profits from being shifted to tax havens. More than 130 countries around the world had agreed on this. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had recently pushed the issue as finance minister.
International companies with a turnover of at least 750 million euros per year should in future pay at least 15 percent tax, regardless of where they are domiciled. If a company pays less tax with its subsidiary abroad, the home country can collect the difference. In addition, international digital corporations like Google should not only be taxed in their home country, but also where they actually do business.
It is now important that the rules “are easy to administer for the companies and the administration at the same time”, explained the Ministry of Finance. According to the report, federal and state tax officials are already holding initial talks. DIHK President Peter Adrian called for fair implementation. The new minimum tax must be levied everywhere so that domestic companies are not disadvantaged, he told the magazine. There must be a balance for the new bureaucratic burdens.