London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

G7 nations close to historic deal to tax tech giants in plan that would 'change the world', says German finance minister

G7 nations close to historic deal to tax tech giants in plan that would 'change the world', says German finance minister

The plan to reform the taxation of tech firms and bring in a minimum level for business tax rates would "change the world".

The world's leading economies are on the brink of announcing a historic deal to tax the tech giants, the German finance minister has told Sky News.

Olaf Scholz said the plan to reform the taxation of tech companies and introduce a minimum level for business tax rates would "change the world", bringing in billions of pounds in tax revenue which would otherwise have been shifted to low tax countries.

The comments came as ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised economies met in London for the first such face-to-face summit since the onset of COVID-19 over a year ago.

In part because of pressure from the Biden White House and US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, the G7 ministers are understood to be on the brink of announcing an unprecedented set of reforms.

The plan would help combat profit shifting, where companies - including tech giants and multinational brands - can shift profits to low tax jurisdictions.

The deal entails two "pillars": First, there will be special rules to change how much tax some large companies will pay, and where those taxes are paid.

Hitherto business taxes were based purely on company profits; in future a chunk of those taxes will be calculated based on sales.

The second pillar involves the creation of a global minimum corporate tax rate, designed to encourage countries not to cut their business tax rate below 15%.

Speaking on the fringes of the London meeting between the US, UK, Japanese, German, French, Italian and Canadian finance ministers, Mr Scholz said: "That we've made progress on both pillars is what we have worked on so hard.

"It looks as if we will now make it, and it will change the world.

"We've worked very hard in the last few years to make progress step by step, we discussed with many people and many experts on this question and with many other countries, but now we are at a stage where an agreement is feasible.

"This is a historic moment, and it will help us to do our job: to serve our people. It's about fairness and justice."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak at a meeting of finance ministers from across the G7 nations


Asked about the implications of a deal for the tax revenues of developed countries, which some experts calculate could be boosted by many billions as profits are shifted back from tax havens, Mr Scholz said: "This will help finance our countries.

"We will profit very much from an agreement like this. But it's also a starting point for more fairness - that's what this is what it is about."

According to others close to the negotiations, the technical talks are still ongoing, with "sherpas" from G7 nations expected to carry on discussing details through the night.

However, Mr Scholz's comments represent the clearest sign yet that the G7 is likely to seal a deal on tax avoidance on Saturday.

That deal would be highly significant since it would encourage finance ministers from other, smaller countries to sign up to the deal.

But, there are some nations - most notably Ireland - which are holding out.

With its 12.5% corporate tax rate, Ireland would be directly affected by the global minimum rate, and would have to decide whether to increase its level or to face penalties from those economies committing to the new pact.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×