German Digital and State Modernization Ministry welcomes the initiative of Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer to introduce a tax on internet companies.
In an interview with the news channel “Welt”, Philipp Amthor, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Ministry of Digital Affairs and Modernization, emphasized the importance of a fair taxation system. “It’s fundamental for us that we don’t punish economic success as such and Minister Weimer is very correct in his order of the day in this regard” Amthor said. “However, it’s clear that this is a matter of differing market opportunities and of tax fairness.”
Amthor also pointed out that large digital companies have been successfully avoiding taxes for a long time, while small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as artisans in Germany, are not spared and are heavily taxed instead. “We need to create a fairer system that addresses this tax avoidance” he said, adding, “That’s why this is a good and correct proposal and other European countries, such as Austria and France, have already shown that this is possible.”
The initiative, according to Amthor, should not only be implemented in Germany, but also in the European Union as a whole, as a way to promote fair competition and a more equal distribution of tax burdens.