Web-tax: a hope to restore fair competition

In this interview all’On. Francesco Boccia (Pd), published on Key4biz, it is clear that the proposal is to tax all those who sell online services and products, according to the same tax rules that Italian operators must respect.

What makes you nervous, is to read that there are some subjects ( journalists and representatives of strategic entities such as Mr.. Parisi di Confindustria or the On Liuzzi M5S ) which support the argument that tax OTTs, it would be counterproductive precisely for Italian SMEs, theorising that the latter would put us in visibility and sales capacity, or that the propensity for foreign investment and even the possibility of creating new jobs would decrease, or bringing up the Rome agreements of 1957 (!!!!) … ( it is also mentioned this article on the Corriere delle Comunicazioni and this su Key4biz).

Nobody connects the current economic crisis and the loss of jobs in Europe and the significant decrease in the ability to compete, to the fact that extra eu companies increase profits, and therefore the possibility of hiring ( since the money they save in taxes, they can dedicate them to "expansion actions"!!!!).

If these are foreign investments, we would gladly do without it, found that only materialize a leash in order to control the dynamics of the market and the workforce going to concretize an unacceptable oligopoly.

And there are entities, like the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy which supports the "danger" in applying a web-tax , stating that “ Behind an alleged 'tax justice', you want to hinder one of the main development drivers for the future, also creating economic damage to pmi Italians who benefit from these services "( source: article on the Corriere delle Comunicazioni )

In short, we are on the verge of pantomime, where you want to abuse reality, rape and manipulate to pass unsustainable party interests in this economic situation.

None of the supporters of these theses ( absurd ) explains , But, because a European operator, it should continue to remain competitive with respect to OTT and other non-EU companies, if he has to pay the taxes they don't pay !

None of these subjects explains why European companies could grow and be competitive if their products or services, have higher prices, than those offered by a competition that, not paying taxes, actually displaces, all commercial strategies.

Then, everyone misses two simple and crystalline concepts: the permanent establishment and operational headquarters.

The first provides a local registered office with a VAT number for all those who intend to offer, payment, products and services in a specific territory, supervising it "in person".

The second, identifies an office in the area where the business is carried out ( to propose on the market , the services and products that are paid for by end users )

The rationale for these commercial legal concepts is so clear that , want to deny it , it means competing unfairly!

When OTTs sell services and products in Europe, acting on the territory, they must have a local registered office, a VAT number, and an operational headquarters like all other local companies.

The argument that their registered office is in California, and act in Europe through an Irish subsidiary ( operational headquarters ) on which all profits are "translated", leaving in the European offices almost more costs than revenues, it is unacceptable!!!

The real operational headquarters, For definition, I am in each state of the European Community, and they have to pay them the right taxes on the profits of the sales made in the specific territory.

To return the balance needle to the center, it is NECESSARY to impose the same rules for everyone.

And this, be clear, it does not in any way imply protectionism: if birds of pre-EU operators make this clear!

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