Labour MEP and Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant voted against a resolution supporting the introduction of a harmonised digital tax in Europe as ‘a matter of non-negotiable principle’. Taxation should remain part of each EU member state’s sovereignty, remarked the Maltese MEP when explaining his vote against the resolution ‘Digital services tax and non-adoption of a digital tax for the EU and the need for majority rule on taxation’ at the European Parliament.
The Maltese MEP said it is right that digital business, especially that conducted by the GAFA – an acronym for Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon – be taxed on the same lines as businesses in other sectors of economic activity in the place where they conduct business. Given the nature of digital activity, where value is being added, where costs are being assumed and where profits are being made constitute matters that lack the clarity found in other economic activities. This makes it possible for GAFA and others to fudge their income statements so as to avoid having to pay taxes due on their profits. In these circumstances it is legitimate to introduce a tax on their sales, where these occur, to curtail and eliminate such tax avoidance — the 4 most powerful American technology companies.
“While this report supports the introduction of such a tax, it does so as part of a strategy by which on a European scale, we move towards a harmonisation of taxation, not least by putting in place the tools that would make such harmonisation easily possible. Also, I doubt whether taxation of sales of digital business need be contemplated on a European, as contrasted to a national scale.”
The report was approved with 451 votes in favour, 69 votes against, 64 abstentions.

Maltese Version – ALFRED SANT KONTRA L-PROPOSTA TA’ TAXXA DIĠITALI ARMONIZZATA

Fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant ivvota kontra riżoluzzjoni li tintroduċi taxxa diġitali armonizzata fl-Ewropa ‘bħala fatt li mhux negozjabbli’. It-tassazzjoni għandha tibqa’ parti mis-sovranita` ta’ kull pajjiż Ewropew, qal l-MEP Malti waqt li spjega għala ivvota kontra r-riżoluzzjoni dwar it-taxxa diġitali u l-ħtieġa li r-regoli f’dan il-qasam jittieħdu permezz ta’ maġġoranza kwalifikata.
Alfred Sant qal li huwa ġust li l-industrija diġitali, speċjalment dik li ssir mill-GAFA – isem li jirreferi għal kumpaniji Google, Apple, Facebook u Amazon – ikunu intaxxati l-istess bħal industriji oħra ta’ setturi differenti u fil-post fejn issir l-attivita` ekonomika tagħhom.
Fil-qasam diġitali mhux dejjem huwa ċar fejn il-valur jiġi miżjud, fejn qed jinġarru l-ispejjeż u fejn qed isiru l-profitti. Dan jagħmilha possibbli għal GAFA u għal oħrajn biex iċajpru d-dikjarazzjonijiet tad-dħul tagħhom u jevitaw li jħallsu t-taxxa fuq il-profitti. F’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi huwa leġittimu li tkun introdotta taxxa fuq il-bejgħ tagħhom, fil-post li fih ikun qed isir il-bejgħ, biex jitnaqqas u jiġi elminat l-evitar tat-taxxa għal 4 l-aktar kumpaniji diġitali b’saħħithom Amerikani.
“Filwaqt li dan ir-rapport jappoġġja l-introduzzjoni ta’ taxxa bħal din, jagħmel dan bħala parti minn strateġija fuq skala Ewropea, li biha nersqu lejn l-armonizzazzjoni tat-tassazzjoni, billi tagħti l-għodda biex din l-armonizzazzjoni ssir aktar faċli u possibbli. Kif ukoll, niddubita kemm il-bejgħ tat-tassazzjoni tal-industrija diġitali jeħtieġ li jiġi ikkontemplat fuq skala Ewropea, u mhux fuq skala nazzjonali.” irrimarka Alfred Sant.
Ir-riżoluzzjoni ġiet approvata b’451 voti favur, 69 voti kontra u 64 astenzjoni.

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