Yellen Call For U.S., EU Leadership On Corporate Minimum Tax

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is calling on the United States and the European Union to get the global corporate minimum tax into law in their respective territories.

The “EU and the United States must show leadership by expeditiously implementing the global minimum tax in our domestic laws,” Yellen told attendees May 17, 2022, at the Brussels Economic Forum, according to her prepared remarks distributed by the Department of the Treasury.

Yellen’s remarks promoted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreement signed by 137 countries that would, among other things, set the global corporate minimum tax at 15 percent.

“Once implemented, we can put the revenues produced by this deal toward funding investments to make our economies more sustainable and fairer—not just in the United States and the EU, but also in emerging and developing countries,” she said. “And by moving together we will raise these revenues in a way that levels the playing field. Businesses will be able to compete on economic fundamentals, rather than on tax incentives, thereby contributing to our collective prosperity.”

According to the Department of the Treasury, Yellen met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni and identified ways to move forward on the international tax reform agreement, although those specific details were not made public. Her remarks also noted that in addition to addressing the global corporate minimum tax issues, known as Pillar 2 of the agreement, “[w]e must resolve the open issues in Pillar 1 so that the multilateral treaty can be ready for signature,” although the specific issues that need resolution were not identified in the speech.

“Pillar 1 of this deal, focused on the taxation of digital services, puts an end to trade tensions between the EU and the United States that threaten our companies with multiple layers of taxation and our consumers with rising costs from tariffs.”Yellen said. “That dynamic isn’t good for anyone.”

She continued: “Pillar 1 will also update and stabilize the international tax architecture, providing a fairer allocation of revenues than the status quo and tax certainty that is good for business and investment. Rather than facing harmful unilateral measures, companies will be able to plan and thus invest their capital efficiently.”