Washington — The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced investigations into the actions of a number of countries that have adopted or proposed digital services taxes. The Computer & Communications Industry Association welcomes this U.S. action to address the proliferation of discriminatory taxes against U.S. companies, and investigate whether these taxes are in compliance with trade commitments.
CCIA has long been critical of discriminatory taxes targeted at U.S. companies, and instead encourages countries to pursue a consensus-based, multilateral, and lasting solution to the challenges of taxation in the globalized economy. CCIA participated in USTR’s previous investigation into the French digital tax, filing comments and testified at hearings in August and January.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“These taxes disproportionately affect U.S. services, upend long-standing international taxation norms, and undermine ongoing discussions toward a global solution to modernize taxation for the digital era. We welcome USTR’s actions to scrutinize these measures appropriately.
“It is unfortunate that some countries are looking to tech companies to fund their economic interventions, particularly as more people are using digital services to work, study, and communicate during the pandemic.”
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