tAX HARMONISATION: this is the opposite to what we were told during the Nice Referendum

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday January 28, 2003 22:11 by usery

A survey of 1000 top executives call for greater EU tax harmoinisation. We were not told this during the recent referendum.

EU companies favour tax harmony
By Larry Schlesinger [24-01-2003]
European companies believe that tax harmonisation across the European Union will benefit them more than any other measure imposed on the single market.
Link: EU needs greater tax harmonisation

Currently VAT regimes and other tax rates vary from 15% to 25% across the various member states, despite efforts made by the European Commission dating back more than 30 years.

But a third of company executives polled by US delivery company UPS said tax harmonistion would be the most significant improvement to be made across the region.

Setting a uniform tax rate would allow companies to charge the same price for their goods across the region, executives claimed.

However, the Confederation of British Industy continued its opposition to harmonisation, saying the UK had the lowest tax rate in the EU, and changes to this would erode its competitive position.

The UK government is also opposed to EU tax harmonisation.
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