France To Push For Common Corporate Tax Base

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

09 April 2008

The French government intends to advance plans for the introduction of a common corporate tax base when it assumes the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union in July, it was revealed this week.

Addressing reporters following a tax forum organised by the European Commission on Monday, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde announced that the proposal for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, or CCCTB as it has become known, was an idea that the French "are determined to push".

"I think we need to make our contribution to this and push this idea forward," she added.

The CCCTB would enable companies to follow the same rules for calculating the tax base for all their EU-wide activities rather than in accordance with the existing 27 systems, thereby, it is argued, simplifying procedures, improving efficiency and reducing compliance costs.

However, several member states, most notably those with the lowest rates of corporate tax in the EU, such as Ireland, Estonia and Slovakia, are strongly opposed to the idea of any kind of harmonization of EU member state tax regimes, despite assurances that no plans are in the pipeline for harmonizing tax rates, which is what these countries ultimately fear.

When asked about these member states' concerns, Lagarde was reportedly dismissive, replying that: "Whether you have 12% in Ireland, or 33% in France, or 15% in Germany is irrelevant.".

The CCCTB is being championed by European Taxation Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs, who congratulated Lagarde for moving the plan up the EU's legislative agenda, and revealed plans for an impact assessment of the CCCTB this year, to be followed by the publication of formal proposals in the autumn.

Under EU rules, any tax legislation proposed at European level must be approved unanimously by the member states. However, Kovacs has suggested that a core of supportive countries could forge ahead with plans regardless.

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