Tax investigations – US Treasury attacked the EU unusually sharp – Süddeutsche.de

• The US Treasury Department takes the control investigation by the European Commission against American corporations apart.
• In a paper Washington raises the competition watchdogs in Brussels, as a “supranational control authority” aufzuspielen.
• A bank has calculated that Apple might have to repay up to 19 billion dollars.

From Alexander Mühlauer , Brussels, Brussels

This attack has it. On 25 pages, the US Treasury takes apart the tax investigation by the European Commission against American corporations. Although some arguments are not new, the sharpness of the words it is always: Remove the paper from Washington raises the competition watchdogs in Brussels, as a “supranational control authority” aufzuspielen, endangering the international agreements to combat tax evasion. The US Department examine “any answers if the Commission maintains its current course.” More specifically, it is not. Yet it sounds like a threat – it is also meant

random it is anyway not that this was White Paper published on Wednesday in Washington.. The European Commission is currently in the final stages of an investigation which is one of the most powerful US companies could be costly: Apple. The Brussels authority has analyzed the tax practices of the technology group in the European Union, in September Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager wants their judgment.

“taken Disproportionate targeted”

One of calculating the investment bank JP Morgan, according Apple could be forced to repay $ 19 billion.

the company is from California, so the suspicion of the Commission, have benefited from tax concessions in Ireland that infringe EU law. Vestager and their officials check for years with what lucrative deals attract EU states companies into the country. In autumn, the Commission Luxembourg and the Netherlands sued. Both countries should reclaim millions of Starbucks and a Fiat-Chrysler subsidiary that had the Company granted an illegal State aid. Both companies challenged that decision in court.

The government in Washington sees the Brussels competition policy for some time extremely critical. Six months have passed since, as wrote US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew his view of things, and sent a letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Lew complained that the authorities in Brussels have just “taken disproportionately targeted” US corporations. In his opinion, the European Union is to combat tax avoidance practices overly strict action against American companies. Even then warned Lew before a “worrying precedent” in international tax policy. The finance minister called on the Commission to reconsider their studies.

“EU law applies equally to all enterprises operating in Europe”

The answer from Brussels came immediately. Commissioner Vestager described in the hope that there is on both sides of the Atlantic in one important agreement: Namely, when a national tax authority certain companies can play a much more favorable treatment than other firms in the same country. This, it is said in the letter of Vestager, “can be extremely distorting fair competition”. A spokesman for the European Commission underlined that view on Thursday: “EU law applies equally active for all European companies – whether large or small.”

In Brussels also one recalls that of an “alleged unequal treatment “American companies have therefore could be no question, because the Commission itself recently the tax regimes of Belgium have made. Corporations should have received undue tax advantages in the country and now pay extra 700 million euros. Affected are 35 companies with multinational operations. Which companies are to pay extra taxes, the EU Commission was not known. but if it were primarily to companies in Europe.

The Treasury Department in Washington does not impress the. In recent whitepaper Americans throw the Europeans before again trying to create unfair and “destructive” precedents. The person responsible for EU competition cases-General would enhance its role on the competition and state aid law beyond, “rated supranational tax authority Member States” towards a. After all, are the US Treasury to openly that the criticism of the European Commission is not entirely altruistic. The payments could reduce the tax burden of enterprises according to the US namely in case of envisaged tax reform, according to the paper

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Regarding the case Apple, the group presents accusations from Brussels of itself. Californians repeatedly emphasized that they followed all the legal rules. If the EU Commission its threat but actually make true, both Apple and the affected Ireland are willing to go against a decision by the authority in court.

For Commissioner Vestager the headwind from America will therefore continue , This also applies in the case of a further investigation against Luxembourg, where the Commission also prohibited state aid for a US group suspected: Amazon. And then there are investigations, which, although not stored, but again check a company from the United States. Vestager investigated whether Google is abusing its market power to outdo competitors. In Washington is convinced that this action from Brussels a clear objective pursued:. To weaken the economic power of the US with policy choices