Package for fair and simple taxation - Related Opinions

The EESC stresses that the rise of cross-border teleworking pose challenges to the international taxation systems and invites the Member States and the European Commission to work together to find solutions for the new situation. The Committee encourages the European Commission to consider whether a one-stop shop, like in the VAT area, could be set up for cross-border teleworkers to allow the employees and employers to reduce tax disputes and help to ensure that taxes are levied correctly.

The EESC fully supports the Commission proposal on the misuse of shell companies for tax purposes and its objectives. Ensuring an effective, fair taxation across the single market is crucial to favour a real recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee supports the choice of a Directive aimed at ensuring a common legal framework among Member States. The nature of the subject matter to be regulated and the objectives pursued means that they cannot be handled through single initiatives by Member States in their respective legal systems.

The EESC proposes launching a European pact to effectively combat tax fraud, evasion and avoidance and money laundering. The Committee calls on the European Commission to promote a political initiative involving national governments and the other European institutions in achieving this goal, fostering the consensus needed for this and involving civil society. Cooperation between Member States should be the main pillar of the pact. The Committee urges the European institutions and the Member States to provide the financial and human resources required for the effective implementation of existing European legislation and to agree on a commitment to adopt all necessary new legislative and administrative measures to effectively combat tax offences and bad practices, money laundering and the activities of tax havens. This requires permanent evaluation of the outcome of implementing each measure.