Tax Subcommittee MEPs conclude visit to London
Three Members of the European Parliament Subcommittee on tax matters today completed their mission to London where they discussed tax with British stakeholders and counterparts.
Speaking at the end of the mission, delegation leader and subcommittee Chair Paul Tang (S&D, NL) said,
"I'm glad to note that both the EU and the UK share the same objective of improving the fight against tax fraud and aggressive tax planning. The UK resembles the EU more than it does Singapore.
"I am also comforted by the knowldege that the UK and EU national digital service taxes will remain in place until the profit allocation pillar of the OECD agreement is implemented - this will help keep the pressure up on the US.
"I also welcome that the UK is considering introducing a bill that would make enablers accountable in the case that they would not have prevented a tax crime to occur. Only with strong enforcement rules will we be able to get rid of the rotten apples.
"On beneficial ownership registers, the recent European Court of Justice's judgment has a global impact. The high standard for transparency is in danger. This is a clear signal that we need to quickly restore broad access to beneficial owner registers."
During the two-day mission, the delegation met key political decision-makers and stakeholders to discuss developments in the area of international taxation and the relation between the EU and the UK in this field.
The delegation met with members of the Public Accounts Committee, the Treasury Committee and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax of the House of Commons, as well as HM Treasury Minister Baroness Joanna Penn and stakeholders from civil society, professional associations and academia.
The discussions focused on the implementation of the OECD/G20 international tax reform, UK efforts to combat tax evasion and avoidance, and the role of intermediaries and International Financial Centres in the fight against tax evasion and tax avoidance.
Discussions also revolved around tax policies in the UK post-Brexit and the impact on the EU, administrative cooperation, transparency rules, windfall profit taxes, the future of financial service taxes and the implementation of the Windsor Framework in the area of VAT and excise duties.
The other two MEPs on the delegation are Rasmus Andresen (Greens, DE) and Gunnar Beck (ID, DE).
The full programme can be found here.
Contacts:
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John SCHRANZ
Press Officer