Parliament's Special Committee on tax rulings proposes key reforms and demands a mandate extension to allow time for investigation of potentially important documents.

Tax justice: lifting the burden on SMEs and citizens

A landmark debate as Parliament’s  Special Committee on Tax Rulings

tackles an issue close to citizens:  tax justice,

specifically Member States’  deals with multi-nationals

reducing their tax liability  to a fraction of everyone else’s.

The tax obligations  which pay for our public expenses

are coming almost uniquely  from SMEs and individuals.

Equal treatment of all,  that is the central theme.

And there we see there is no such  thing as fair tax competition.

Measures recommended include taxation  where profits are made,

more transparency and information sharing,

and ending tax competition  between EU members.

We have managed to proceed  to a serious compilation

on doubtful practices  in corporate tax matters.

But when demands for documents  went unheeded,

The Member States  and also the European Commission

have denied the Parliament access  to the critical documents.

We are hopeful that we can now  get access to these documents

so that we can establish  political responsibility.

Before that starts, the committee’s  recommendations go to the vote.