# Taxation policy proposal on harmonising the corporate tax base in Europe



## h20 (6 May 2007)

[broken link removed]

A staunch supporter of EU policy up to now, I'm now starting to hate their policies, especially their plan to harmonise corporate tax across the EU, which means an Irish business delivering services in Germany would pay the German corporate tax rate, which is more than 10% higher than our 12.5 rate.

What do you think of the EUs plan?


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## thespecialon (6 May 2007)

Yes would definetly erode even further Ireland's competitiveness..We have miled the EU for long enough but we cant allow them to dictate our polices like this..As we see interest rates are now goverened externally which is causing problems


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## setemupjoe (7 May 2007)

I think we have a veto over this at the moment but i think the mainlanders are trying to change the rules.I fear for our future ability to influance anything in Europe .


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## jrewing (7 May 2007)

Of course, we look at it from a biased perspective, because with our low rate of corporation tax, we have the most to lose from any change.

Looking at it objectively, does it not seem fair that a German company should be able to compete on a level playing field with an Irish company, when providing services in their own country ?


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## room305 (7 May 2007)

jrewing said:


> Looking at it objectively, does it not seem fair that a German company should be able to compete on a level playing field with an Irish company, when providing services in their own country ?



Germany are free to lower their corporation tax rates if they wish. If corporation taxes are harmonised but Ireland achieves competitive advantage by halving income tax rates, will Germany and France start angrily demanding that we tax our workers as heavily as they do?


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## z108 (7 May 2007)

I think its up to the individual countries to arrive at their own cost of business which includes setting their own tax rates otherwise its backdoor communism.
If we were forced to change our tax rates to the same as in Germany would they take responsibility for our destroyed economy seeing as we cant even set our own interest rates now?
And since under communism everything is shared  would they at the very least send us over some of their nurses and doctors from their superior health care system?


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