MEP João Oliveira urged the EU to ban tax havens and strengthen tax fairness.
João Oliveira, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has submitted a resolution to the European Parliament proposing measures to enhance tax fairness and prohibit the use of tax havens.
The resolution reads:
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Rule 149 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas, unfairly, a small number of individuals and businesses – with high income and wealth – use offshores to evade their tax obligations;
B. whereas average annual tax losses are estimated at USD 6 276.4 million for the Member States of the European Union, including EUR 4 695.4 million in corporate tax abuse and USD 1581 million in wealth placed in offshores;
C. whereas corruption and economic and financial crime need to be tackled (including drug trafficking and illegal arms sales) and whereas international cooperation is required if we are to bring an end to tax havens;
1. Calls on the Member States to introduce mandatory reporting of transfers to countries, territories and regions with clearly more favourable preferential tax regimes;
2. Urges the Council and the Member States to work together at EU and international level to ban transactions to countries, territories and regions with clearly more favourable, non-cooperative preferential tax regimes;
3. Urges the Commission and the Council to create the conditions for tax havens to cease to exist and calls on the Member States to tax wealth where it is generated, improving tax fairness.
