The European Union has asked the United States to come back to the negotiation table to discuss the issue of digital taxation. The EU said that it wanted the talks to take place at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) but that if those talks fell through, would be willing to make a new proposal at the EU level.
If an agreement is found on the OECD level, several states from around the world would also benefit from new tax revenues from tech firms. The EU has been pushing for the adoption of new taxes for a while now but things seemed to have slowed down which has caused France to take unilateral action. France’s efforts have caused a bad response from the Trump administration which has threatened to put high duties on French imports.
Commenting on the matter, an EU spokesperson said:
“We remain committed to ensuring that all businesses, including digital ones, pay their fair share of tax where it is rightfully due.”
The spokesperson relayed the EU’s message that fair taxation of the digital economy was a top priority for the bloc. The U.S., however, believes that such taxes unfairly go after U.S. tech firms. If the current administration continues to refuse to move on the issue, it may remain unresolved until the country sees new leadership which could be six months to four-and-a-half years away.