Taxation
Companies generate growth, create jobs and foster prosperity for citizens. Paying taxes is only a fraction of their contribution to society and corporation tax is just a small part of the overall tax paid by businesses.
BusinessEurope supports fair tax competition and shares the objective of fighting fraud and evasion. Governments and businesses must work together to ensure that international tax agreements remain fit for purpose as globalisation evolves. International rules on corporation tax must be clear, transparent, objective and predictable.

BusinessEurope and its members are actively engaging at the EU level through the Platform for Tax Good Governance, the VAT Expert Group and the VAT Forum. At the international level we are actively engaged in the OECD/G20 work on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). BEPS should be seen as an opportunity to improve the architecture of international taxation in the era of globalisation and therefore promote open markets and investment across borders.
Facts and figures
- In 2017, businesses paid nearly EUR 2 trillions of taxes in the EU, through corporate tax, social security contributions, property, resource, energy, environmental and other taxes. In addition to paying taxes, enterprises help tax systems to run smoothly by collecting VAT and income tax from their employees.
- The average tax wedge in the EU is almost one third higher than in Japan and the USA.
- The EU share of worldwide foreign direct investment inflows has fallen by two fifths from 55% in 2007 to 31% in 2017.
Source: BusinessEurope Reform Barometer
Publications
Reports and studies | Date | |
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Towards a simplified, sustainable and robust VAT system | 04/12/2019 |
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