How the digital tax debate is paving the way for major cross-border tax change

How do you tax digital companies? Will a flat tax on turnover work? And should firms with no physical presence but many users in a country be taxed ? Such issues will challenge tax systems throughout the world.

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Any new tax regime developed for digital activity could have enduring impact on cross-border taxation, and should be guided by the key tenets of certainty, consistency and currency, while reducing complexity and confusion.

Half a decade ago, the Group of 20 came together in the wake of the global financial crisis, vowing to address challenges to the international tax system.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 29, 2019, with the headline How the digital tax debate is paving the way for major cross-border tax change. Subscribe