News
Press release on the directive on the transparency for tax intermediaries
As the European Tax Adviser Federation, ETAF has closely followed the developments of the proposed directive since it was firstly launched in June 2017. In its positioning, ETAF strongly advocated in favour of the safeguard of the professional secrecy as one of the ground pillars of tax professionals.
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Consultation on the fair taxation of the digital economy: results published
The results of the consultation on the fair taxation of the digital economy, in which ETAF participated in January, have been published by DG TAXUD. The consultation was launched in October 2017 to define an approach to the taxation of the digital economy. The consultation listed the main problems of the international tax system in relation to the digital economy and proposed both temporary and long-term solutions to tackle these issues.
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ETAF participates in the Consultation on the fair taxation of the digital economy
The digitalisation of the economy is happening at a very fast pace involving both the digitalisation of so-called “bricks-and-mortar” business models and the activities of highly digitalized ICT companies. The tax framework, on the other hand, was not capable of keeping up with such a quick transformation.
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Commissioner Moscovici at ETAF tax conference: „We are at a turning point of the international fiscal policy“
On 5 December 2017 the European Tax Adviser Federation (ETAF) hosted the conference “Building an EU tax system” in Brussels which attracted many tax professionals across Europe, stakeholders and high-level decision-makers from the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council.
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ETAF invited to a working group of the S&D IMCO Committee on the proposal for a Services e-Card at the European Parliament
Following an invitation of the S&D IMCO working group, Philippe Arraou, President of ETAF, participated in a lively debate on the Commissions’ proposal for a European Services e-Card at the European Parliament.
Mr. Arraou made clear that ETAF members strongly favor a deepening of the Single Market and support cross-border provision of business services, which are the main objectives of the proposed Services Package. Nevertheless, he pointed out some major concerns that were raised by ETAF members: The deadlines for the host Member States, for example, being too short to comprehensively examine an application for both temporary cross-border services and permanent establishment.
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ETAF General Assembly confirms Philippe Arraou as President
On 26 April 2017 the ETAF General Assembly elected the President and a new Board for the period of two years. Philippe Arraou has been unanimously reelected by the General Assembly as President of ETAF. Prof. Dr. Michael Korth and Volker Kaiser have been confirmed as Board members in office and Luigi Alfredo Carunchio will be replacing Gerardo Longobardi as a Board member.
ETAF participates in intermediaries’ tax planning consultation
As the scandals around LuxLeaks and Panama Papers are still present, the European Commission focuses its policies on tax transparency and tax intermediaries to fight harmful and illegal tax practices. With this in mind, DG TAXUD launched a consultation on “Disincentives for advisers and intermediaries for potentially aggressive tax planning schemes”.
ECOFIN-Council agrees on measures against corporate tax avoidance and hybrid mismatches
On 21 February 2017, the European finance ministers reached an agreement in the ECOFIN-Council on provisions to fight corporate tax avoidance implicating third countries. The proposal aims at closing down “hybrid mismatches” between the tax systems of EU-countries and third countries and thus preventing corporate groups from taking advantage of the disparities between several tax jurisdictions.
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Commission on administrative cooperation between Member States in the field of VAT
The fight against VAT fraud is a top priority of the European Union and keeps the European Commission on its toes. On 28 February 2017 DG TAXUD published a road map for the legislative proposal on administrative cooperation between Member States in the field of VAT. The Commission aims at closing the so-called ‘VAT-gap’, which causes serious losses of Member States’ revenues, affects the EU budget in a negative way and distorts competition within the Single Market.
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Commissioner Moscovici at the ETAF Launching Conference: „We are in a new tax era”
On 28 September 2016, the European Tax Adviser Federation – ETAF, which unites more than 230,000 tax advisers from Germany, France and Italy, presented itself for the first time to a broad international audience on the occasion of its launching conference “Europe’s tax agenda for the future"
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