A number of countries within the EU have been accused of dragging their feet when it comes to concerted action against tax sheltering agreements.
Minutes written by German civil servants from confidential meetings under the auspices of the Council of Ministers reveal that especially Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta and the UK are being obstructive in this area, reports Politiken.
Without naming names, the Danish finance minister, Kristian Jensen, has confirmed that a number of countries have proved difficult when it comes to negotiations aimed at tackling tax shelters.
Follow the money
“Unfortunately, some countries have a very lucrative business offering the kinds of solutions that countries such as Denmark think of as tax avoidance or which open up the possibility of tax evasion,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve seen some pretty tough arm-wrestling going on.”
One example is the drawing up of a so-called black list that has been envisaged as being an overview of tax havens outside the EU. For months now, the UK has been delaying its compilation. The list should have been ready in December.
The black list has been mentioned as one of the initiatives that could combat the kind of tax manoeuvre highlighted in the recent leaks from the ‘Paradise Papers’.
