EU to launch tax observatory

By Francesca Amaddeo, Researcher, Tax Law Competence Centre (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland

The EU’s awareness of the relevance of tax policy is clear. On 6 July, the European Commission called for proposals for the creation of an EU tax observatory.

This follows the adoption of the Commission Decision on the financing of the preparatory action EU Tax Observatory – Capacity building to support Union policy making in the area of taxation and the adoption of the annual work programme for 2020 on 16 June.

The idea is to set up an independent and specialized observatory, made up of tax experts, to perform and promote original and high-quality research in the area of tax evasion, tax avoidance, and aggressive tax planning.

The main focus will be corporate taxation.

“This is big: EU set up EU Tax Observatory: research, dissemination, advocacy on tax evasion, tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning. Applications by 2 October 2020, funding available EUR 1,2 m” tweeted Tommaso Faccio, Head of Secretariat at ICRICT, and Lecturer at The University of Nottingham, Socio fondatore Tax Justice Italia:

This is big: EU to set up EU Tax Observatory: research, dissemination, advocacy ON tax evasion, tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning. Applications by 2 October 2020, funding available EUR 1.2m. https://t.co/OcxJcdKD8B

— TommasoFaccio (@FaccioTommaso) July 6, 2020

Dissemination of information about taxation in a user-friendly manner represents one of the Observatory’s tasks.

Citizens, businesses and trade unions trust the robustness and fairness of European rules to curb tax illicit, the call says. They must be informed about EU policy on tax matters: public interests and interests of all stakeholders shall be taken into consideration in such actions.

The Observatory is expected to address issues that range from the role of European civil society to the debate on fair taxation, to VAT fraud.

Whoever joins this group will have the honor and challenge to represent all of us.

The Commission’s action follows the creation of a permanent subcommittee on tax matters in the European Parliament.

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Francesca Amaddeo

Lecturer-researcher at Tax Law Competence Centre, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Science and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)

Dr. Francesca Amaddeo, PhD in European law and national legal systems, is an Italian lawyer that works as Lecturer-researcher at the Tax Law Competence Centre, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Science and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI).

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