ECIPE Seminar: International Tax Competitiveness – Why are EU Countries Lagging Behind and What Needs to Be Done?

The US Tax Foundation has just published its 2018 International Tax Competitiveness Index, which covers 35 countries worldwide. While Estonia is topping the Index for the fifth successive year now, a number of EU countries such a Portugal, Poland, Italy and France find themselves at the bottom-end of the listing. High tax rates and complex tax codes are known to hamper economic performance and economic renewal. Opaque tax laws also impact on the quality of public institutions and citizens’ ability to hold governments accountable. Thus, bold reforms may be needed in the EU.

Join us for a discussion about tax competitiveness, economic performance and government accountability in the EU. We will address the following questions:

• Why do many EU countries rank so low in international tax competitiveness?
• Given its exceptional performance, should Estonia be seen as a role model for other countries?
• What should we really talk about: tax rates or tax code?
• Who’s standing in the way of meaningful tax reforms inside EU Member States?
• Would a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) actually improve tax competitiveness in the EU?
• And what would be the impact of a Digital Services Tax (DST) on EU ambitions to harmonise and simplify Member States’ tax code?