Fiscal policy Archives - Dialogues on European Digital Transition

Historic G7 agreement: En-route to fairer taxes on big tech

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future June 8, 2021June 9, 2021Amazon, Apple, Fiscal policy, G7

The seven most powerful economies in the world, assembled in the Group of 7 (G7), have reached an historic agreement on taxes on big tech: multinationals with a profit margin above 10% will have to pay at least 20% of their taxes where they produce profits and not, as many do, in countries with low tax rates where they base their operating headquarters. Moreover, these powers have agreed to set 15% as the minimum tax rate, lowering the proposal from the United States, which was 21%. France was also hoping for a higher common rate.

City councils facing the digital transition: Barcelona proposes online delivery tax

European Association for Digital Transition Democratic quality April 21, 2021June 9, 2021Amazon, Digital sovereignty, Fiscal policy, Local business, Spain

The complex debate on taxation of large Internet platforms affects all levels, from the large institutions involved in global governance – such as the G20 and IMF – to city councils in cities that have around two million people, such as Barcelona. For a while now the Catalan city council has been working to implement a tax on home delivery of online purchases. The measure is after an essential objective: to defend the traditional commercial structure and small businesses from the rise of e-commerce, a market dominated by multinational platforms such as Amazon and AliExpress.

A digital levy in the EU: Our response to the European Commission consultation

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future April 15, 2021June 9, 2021Competition, European Commission, Fiscal policy

Last February, the European Commission opened a public consultation process as part of its work to create a digital levy in the EU. This is not only in response to the economic and business changes that have been accelerated by the pandemic, but also to bring order to the different initiatives from the Member States. Appropriate taxation for the digital economy, with its ability to break down political boundaries, is a matter of great global interest and a subject that both the G20 and the OECD are also working on.

False freelancers problem goes beyond the labour market

European Association for Digital Transition Rights and freedom October 20, 2020June 9, 2021Amazon, Fiscal policy, Labor Relations

Following a trade union complaint, the Labour Inspectorate of the Spanish government has just officially registered 4,056 delivery people who were working for Amazon as false freelancers in Madrid and Barcelona. In addition, it is demanding the U.S. company pay 6.16 million euros in unpaid contributions.

Employment Risks in the Age of the Algorithm

European Association for Digital Transition Rights and freedom June 11, 2020June 9, 2021Digital rights, Fiscal policy, International Labour Organization, ISEAK Foundation, Labor Relations

Important debates on the future of work have been on the agenda of politicians and legislators for some time. But now that the EU has come through the worst of the pandemic, new nuances have been added. Acceleration of the digitalization process over the past three months, with massive use of telecommuting, is creating new challenges. And this also compounds the risks for the most vulnerable citizens, such as older workers and freelancers who rely heavily on technology platforms.

The Challenges of Digitalisation: the Gig Economy more troubling than giving up Data

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future June 5, 2020June 9, 2021Data Protection, Deliveroo, Fiscal policy, Labor Relations, Privacy, Uber

All developed economies face enormous challenges in their digital transition process, such as what to do about privacy and their citizens’ data, the new labour frameworks brought about by digitalisation and the taxation of large platforms, who are barely anchored in national legislation. The experiences and perceptions of citizens are fundamental to addressing these challenges. To find out more about these experiences, the Center for the Governance of Change (CGC), a part of IE University, has carried out the second edition of a study that, beginning with its title, is focused on Europe. This is European Tech Insights, a report that tries to build, through a comprehensive survey in 11 countries, eight of them European (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom), a knowledge base for these digital transition processes.

The Gig Economy: A tax and labour challenge for the EU

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future June 1, 2020June 9, 2021Amazon, Deliveroo, Fiscal policy, Labor Relations, Uber

Approximately 2% of EU adults have their main source of income coming from what is being called the ‘gig economy’, and up to 8% earn occasional income from these work alternatives. The data, from a study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, makes it clear that we are facing an unavoidable reality for Community institutions, posing challenges in the areas of taxation and social protection.