Invited Monday from Europe Evening, economist Daniel Cohen estimated that the establishment of a global taxation of at least 15% of large multinationals should put an end to tax havens.
However, it will not be sufficient to offset the attractiveness of certain countries with low corporate taxes, such as Ireland.
INTERVIEW
The G7 countries signed a historic agreement this weekend for global tax reform. The idea is to set a minimum tax rate for large multinationals of at least 15% in each country. "It's a revolution. Less for the figure itself, which remains low, but by the protocol that has been reached. It is indeed unique that international cooperation allows large countries to agree on a tax system. minima ", greeted Monday, at the microphone of Europe Evening, the economist Daniel Cohen. "Europe, for example, has never succeeded in its own bosom. It is also a great lesson in modesty. On a world scale, it is a rupture", adds the one who teaches at Paris School of economics.
For Daniel Cohen, "it is a very effective way to eradicate tax havens", such as the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands.
"If a company domiciles its profits in tax havens and does not pay anything, the country where this multinational is registered will have the right to collect 15% on the profits made in tax havens. That is to say that we will have the right to substitute for tax havens to levy taxes, "explains this specialist.
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A "symbolic" measure for countries which practice low taxation
However, this measure should not overshadow certain countries which, without being tax havens, practice relatively low corporate taxation, and therefore attractive, such as Ireland.
"In Ireland, we are at 12.5%, so we are not very far. In fact, there are only three countries in the group of advanced rich countries where the tax rates are below 15%: Ireland, Chile and Hungary ", emphasizes Daniel Cohen.
"It is a good measure against the Caymans, the Bahamas, but it remains very symbolic for countries like Ireland which have built their competitiveness on a low taxation", he concludes.