Germany considers imposing a 10% tax on large online platforms like Alphabet - Minister of Culture
German Culture Minister Claudia Roth stated that Germany is considering imposing a 10% tax on large online platforms such as Google and Facebook. This move could escalate trade tensions with the United States. Roth mentioned that the Ministry of Culture is drafting legislative proposals and seeking discussions with these platform operators to explore alternative solutions. She pointed out that these companies have substantial business profits in Germany but pay almost no taxes, and their social contributions are minimal
Germany considers taxing large online platforms like Google at 10% -- Culture Minister
Reuters Berlin, May 29 - Germany's new Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer told Stern magazine that Germany is considering imposing a 10% tax on large online platforms such as Google under Alphabet GOOGL.O and Facebook under Meta META.O, a move that could escalate trade tensions with the Trump administration in the United States.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to travel to Washington soon to meet with Trump, although this has not been officially announced. Trump has previously stated that he would not allow foreign governments to "encroach on the U.S. tax base for their own benefit."
Weimer stated that the Culture Ministry is drafting a legislative proposal and is also seeking discussions with platform operators he described as "cunning tax evaders" to explore alternative solutions such as voluntary contributions.
"These companies are doing billions of dollars in business in Germany, with extremely high profit margins, benefiting greatly from Germany's media and cultural output as well as its infrastructure, yet they pay almost no taxes, invest very little, and give back too little to society," he told Stern magazine in an interview published on Thursday.
Alphabet and Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment
