EU introduces measures against tax-evasion

[Mister M]

I'm pleased about this. This is one of a few areas that the EU may succeed where national governments failed so far.

[roosterboost]

Let's see if this makes it onto the BBC news tonight

 

The EU has announced measures to make it far more difficult for large multinationals to avoid taxes on a national level. As some of you may know a lot of tax-evasion in the EU occurs because companies divert profits to 'tax-havens' - Luxembourg, the Ireland/Netherlands sandwich, the Channel islands and so on.

 

In particular the concept of holding/subsidiary relations will be tackled. So Amazon, despite doing roaring trade here, can no longer claim that an office in Luxembourg is in fact the holding company and therefore taxes should be paid there.

 

This is one of those issues that really only is going to be resolved on a European level so it is great that an agreement on this has been reached.

 

Your thread title refers to tax evasion which is already illegal so which do you mean?

[Mecky]

Hang on, I though people wanted out of the Eu?

[ricgem2002]

Hang on, I though people wanted out of the Eu?

only when it affects us

[Jeffrey Shaw]

So how come the EU's own accounts have been defective for decades? No measures introduced there, it seems!

Being disciplined by EU for falsity is like [insert own analogy here].

[SevenRivers]

Let's see if this makes it onto the BBC news tonight

 

The EU has announced measures to make it far more difficult for large multinationals to avoid taxes on a national level. As some of you may know a lot of tax-evasion in the EU occurs because companies divert profits to 'tax-havens' - Luxembourg, the Ireland/Netherlands sandwich, the Channel islands and so on.

 

In particular the concept of holding/subsidiary relations will be tackled. So Amazon, despite doing roaring trade here, can no longer claim that an office in Luxembourg is in fact the holding company and therefore taxes should be paid there.

 

This is one of those issues that really only is going to be resolved on a European level so it is great that an agreement on this has been reached.

 

I'm sure you think we're meant to read this like "wow look how amazing and relevant the EU is for us".

 

Yes it's good that European countries are working together to take action in this area. Working together can be done without an EU. Lot's of countries work pretty well towards common goals without being in political union.

 

Also there is something hypocritical about an EU president bringing in these measures when he as president/prime minister of Luxembourg presided over the tax heaven that did fellow EU countries out of £billions in tax revenue.

Edited December 9, 2014 by SevenRivers

[Penistone999]

Let's see if this makes it onto the BBC news tonight

 

The EU has announced measures to make it far more difficult for large multinationals to avoid taxes on a national level. As some of you may know a lot of tax-evasion in the EU occurs because companies divert profits to 'tax-havens' - Luxembourg, the Ireland/Netherlands sandwich, the Channel islands and so on.

 

In particular the concept of holding/subsidiary relations will be tackled. So Amazon, despite doing roaring trade here, can no longer claim that an office in Luxembourg is in fact the holding company and therefore taxes should be paid there.

 

This is one of those issues that really only is going to be resolved on a European level so it is great that an agreement on this has been reached.

 

All this could have been agreed by European countries, off their own backs without the EU by setting a europe wide tax agreement ,thus ending tax havens,

 

This is NOT a reason for the EU to be in existence.

 

Oh ,and these companies will just move their "head office" to a tax haven in the Bahama`s or somewhere like that. There are plenty of countries outside of europe that offer tax havens.

Edited December 9, 2014 by Penistone999

[tzijlstra]

So how come the EU's own accounts have been defective for decades? No measures introduced there, it seems!

Being disciplined by EU for falsity is like [insert own analogy here].

 

Jeffrey, for a solicitor you are awfully effective at repeating a complete fallacy at infinitum. It must be true then, a UKIP local council candidate stated it as fact.

[RollingJ]

Jeffrey, for a solicitor you are awfully effective at repeating a complete fallacy at infinitum. It must be true then, a UKIP local council candidate stated it as fact.

 

tzijlstra - If you know this is a 'fallacy', could you provide links to prove it?

 

I am not saying you are wrong, but you obviously have seen audited and agreed accounts - or, with respect, is this just your pro-EU response?

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Jeffrey, for a solicitor you are awfully effective at repeating a complete fallacy at infinitum. It must be true then, a UKIP local council candidate stated it as fact.

See http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article3914171.ece, where The Times (6 November 2013) reports (my underlining added0:

 

The European Union mis-spent £5.7 billion (€6.7 billion) of taxpayers’ money in 2012, the fourth time that waste has increased in each of the last four years, according to revelations that will infuriate eurosceptics.

 

Denying a clean bill of health to EU accounts for the 19th year in succession, the EU’s financial watchdog also criticised the forthcoming long-term budget, painfully negotiated by David Cameron and other leaders, for failing to ensure value for money.

 

Not too much 'fallacy', it seems. Go on, admit that you yourself were wrong!