Tax the tech bros: Make them pay

People in Europe work hard to earn a living and to provide for their families. But ultra-rich tech bros owning digital giants are just raking in record breaking profits, without contributing to society - all with the support from US President Donald Trump.

It is time to stand up to them and make them pay (a Digital Services Tax).

Working people and small businesses are the backbone of the European economy. By paying taxes on their salaries and profits, they support essential government services that benefit everyone. Thanks to these contributions, we fund schools and hospitals, roads and public transport. Working people are the true engines of our society.

But right now, a handful of top tech companies and their tech bro owners are ‘earning’ billions of euros - without contributing a cent. This is unacceptable. We need to stop Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg profiting at the expense of all of us.

They need to pay their fair share in taxes in Europe. And we can make them.

Big digital companies make billions in Europe through online shopping, digital ads, streaming and cloud services. But they only pay taxes where their headquarters are located, often in tax havens. That means they benefit from European consumers and markets without contributing fairly to our societies. With a Digital Services Tax, the European Union would be able to raise more than 37.5 billion euro per year. That's around one fifth of the annual budget.

How would the Digital Services Tax work?

The plan is simple:

• a small EU-wide tax of 5 percent on the revenues these companies earn from digital services inside the EU, no matter where they are based.

• This tax would only apply to the biggest players, meaning only companies with hundreds of millions in annual turnover would have to pay. Small startups and businesses would not be affected.

• The revenue of the tax would be added to the budget of the European Union as an ‘own resource’, allowing the EU to invest it in its priorities.

According to our new study such a tax could raise more than 37.5 billion euros per year by 2026. And the amount would keep growing as the digital economy continues to expand.

If we’re paying taxes, why aren’t they?

Tech giants pay on average just 9.5 percent in taxes, while traditional companies pay more than 23 percent. That’s not just unfair, it's a threat to democracy.

These big companies exploit tax loopholes to avoid contributing to society. And it’s not just about the money. As these corporations grow richer and more powerful, our democratic institutions become weaker in comparison. They undermine fair competition, erode trust in public services, and concentrate wealth in the hands of a few. Meanwhile, the majority of people face rising inequality, social insecurity and shrinking public investment.

If we made tech billionaires pay their fair share in taxes, the new revenue would allow the EU to invest in the things that people in Europe need to build a good life: affordable childcare, housing and combating climate change. This is how we can get more own resources for the EU budget and for our citizens.

If we all do well - our economy will also do well.

Are you with us? Sign our petition now.

Rasmus Andresen 🇩🇪 - Saskia Bricmont 🇧🇪 - Anna Cavazzini 🇩🇪 - David Cormand 🇫🇷 - Alexandra Geese 🇩🇪 - Maria Ohisalo 🇫🇮 - Kira Peter-Hansen 🇩🇰 - Marie Toussaint 🇫🇷
Greens/EFA Members of the European Parliament