European disunity on digital taxes once again lets Big Tech walk away unscathed

EU lawmakers said there was a need for a systematic approach. PHOTO: AFP
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

BERLIN - For years, the European Union has been trying to make digital companies pay more taxes on their revenues - but mostly in vain. The latest defeat was a ruling of the EU General Court last week that overturned the European Commission's finding that Luxembourg granted €250 million (S$401 million) in illegal tax benefits to Amazon.

The American e-commerce company now walks away reassured that the EU has no legal mechanism to take action against big multinational digital companies. Critics, however, are furious.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.