Google and Co.: Government plans platform tax for web giants | EUROtoday

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Google and Co. ought to pay
Tax advance: Federal authorities plans platform tax for web giants








Heiker plan of the Merz authorities: digital platforms reminiscent of Google must be taxed. In the stern Minister of Culture Weimer speaks in regards to the particulars – and begins the firms.

Union and SPD have agreed within the coalition settlement to verify a submission for big on-line platforms. Anyone who believes will likely be blessed. Or?
No, we’re severe. The massive American digital platforms reminiscent of Alphabet/ Google, Meta and Co. are on my agenda. We have a fancy downside there. On the one hand, monopoly -like constructions have developed that not solely limit competitors, but additionally focus an excessive amount of media energy. This endangers the number of media. On the opposite hand, the firms in Germany do billions of enterprise with very excessive margins and benefited enormously from the media and cultural efficiency and the infrastructure of our nation – however they hardly pay any taxes, make investments too little and provides society too little. In quick: Germany ought to introduce a platform soli.

The arguments have been round for years, nothing has occurred – additionally due to the unclear authorized foundation for such a tax.
Something has to alter now. Germany now makes itself in a imply manner depending on the technological infrastructure of the Americans. I subsequently began an initiative to deal with this downside politically. We have developed an idea that invitations Google and Co. to contribute extra and to take part. There is nice settlement on the occasion borders that politics ought to lastly act right here.

Does “act” imply {that a} direct taxation will lastly be made? So far the Platforms The taxation by merely transferring your earnings.
Yes, the big platforms do skillful tax avoidance. This is unsolidar and has been resulting in severe conflicts with the nationwide and European authorities for years. The order for the introduction of a tax for platforms that use media content material could be very clear within the coalition settlement. Since this part is formulated for my space of ​​duty, I handle it. We imply not solely the journalistic merchandise, but additionally the cultural.

Google-Soli: The mannequin is a levy in Austria

Such a levy – in the midst of the customs dispute – might trigger violent disputes. How ought to or not it’s designed?
There are completely different approaches. First of all, I invited the Google management and vital trade representatives for talks to the Chancellery with a purpose to verify the alternate options, probably additionally voluntary self-commitments. At the identical time, we particularly put together a authorized template. This may very well be based mostly on the Austrian mannequin. Austria has launched easy and efficient taxation of internet marketing companies of 5 p.c for very massive platform operators. In my view, Austrian experiences with a platform soli are convincing.

For instance, we take Google Ads: How excessive ought to the tax charge turn into?
It’s not nearly Google Ads. It is usually about platform operators with billions in gross sales. We contemplate a tax charge of ten p.c reasonable and bonafide. The experiences from Austria present that this type of supply has not introduced a related value change for finish prospects. However, it has triggered the firms to lastly make a small tax contribution for society, i.e. their large margin decreases considerably. At the identical time, this opens the competitors.

Didn’t this authorities truly decrease taxes?
I’m guided by Ludwig Erhard. The social market economic system primarily depends on competitors. However, that is severely restricted in these key fields of digital media administration by monopoly -like constructions. This not solely carries financial dangers, but additionally political and cultural for the liberty of discourse. When Google is renamed the Gulf of Mexico below strain from Donald Trump in Gulf of America and, because of its monumental energy in international communication, merely decreases this, then we will see which issues lurk within the present constructions.

We ought to lastly ask Google and Co.

You critically imagine that Ludwig Erhard would have acted equally?
Ludwig Erhard has extremely mixed in cartels and monopolies to behave politically towards it. He was the daddy of the regulation towards restrictions on competitors. His credo is: the place financial energy is abused in competitors, market economists ought to intervene as combative as towards the state’s assault. Relieve the economic system in perspective, de -bureaucrating and strengthen competitors – additionally within the lively struggle towards cartels and monopolies.

Fight towards cartels and monopolies: that sounds nearly left.
I believe these classes are outdated in lots of political questions. The new federal authorities operates an offensive coverage within the center. In cultural and media points, I enter the primacy of freedom. And within the sense of a wide range of media as a lot as doable, it is very important defend it in the direction of highly effective digital teams.

How precisely is it going?
We work out a regulation on how the coalition settlement calls for this. This is now mentioned with the stakeholders, however above all checked in parliament. At the identical time, I’m on the lookout for a dialog with the platform operators at prime degree to probe different options. My impression after my preliminary talks within the coalition is that there may very well be nice unity within the evaluation between the Union and the Social Democrats, but additionally with the Greens. We ought to lastly problem Google and Co.

https://www.stern.de/politik/deutschland/google-und-co—regierung-plant-plattformabgabe-fuer-internet-giganten-35762870.html