10 Feb 2021

Tech sector bodies call for new impetus at the OECD on digital tax

A new US administration and renewed focus on US and European co-operation provides the opportunity for a new impetus at the OECD on the taxation of the digital economy

Technology sector organisations techUK, the City of London Corporation, Allied for Startups, the Developers Alliance and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) have today issued a joint letter calling for a new impetus from the US, EU and UK to agree a common approach to the taxation of the digital economy at the OECD. 

The organisations are calling on the US, EU and the UK to work together to bring the discussions at the OECD to a conclusion in 2021. This is vitally important as the proliferation of national digital taxes could lead to trade disputes threatening a renewed atmosphere of partnership.

The signatories to the letter represent over a thousand organisations across the US, UK and EU, start-up representatives from 33 countries and a network of 70,000 software developers.  

The letter comes after the Biden Administration’s Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, indicated her support for an international solution at the OECD while the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak hosted a recent meeting of G7 finance ministers and Central Bank leaders aiming to tackle global challenges, including a solution on tax challenges created by digitalisation on the economy.   

The letter has been shared with the Finance Departments of the EU’s Member States, the European Commission, the UK Government and the US Treasury. The full letter can be viewed here.

Julian David, techUK CEO, said:

“There is a window of opportunity to build international consensus on the taxation of the digital economy with a new administration in the White House, a renewed emphasis on US and European cooperation and the upcoming G7 conference which will be hosted by the UK.”  

“By driving forward the establishment of a common framework, the US, EU and UK can not only resolve one of the great economic quagmires of our time but also support a renewal of multilateralism and its ability to tackle the great global challenges.”

Neil Ross

Associate Director, Policy, techUK

As Associate Director for Policy Neil leads on techUK's public policy work in the UK. In this role he regularly engages with UK and Devolved Government Ministers, senior civil servants and members of the UK’s Parliaments aiming to make the UK the best place to start, scale and develop a tech business.

Neil joined techUK in 2019 to lead on techUK’s input into the UK-EU Brexit trade deal negotiations and economic policy. Alongside his role leading techUK's public policy work Neil also acts as a spokesperson for techUK often appearing in the media and providing evidence to a range of Parliamentary committees.

In 2023 Neil was listed by the Politico newspaper as one of the '20 people who matter in UK tech' and has regularly been cited as a key industry figure shaping UK tech policy.