Alex Webb, Columnist

If Europe Can Tax Google, So Can Everybody Else

France and Germany have agreed a levy on big tech. The breakthrough this represents for EU rules paves the way for an OECD accord on tax.

December 4, 2018 at 12:54 PM UTC

By Alex Webb

Alex Webb is a correspondent for Bloomberg Quicktake. He previously covered the technology, telecoms and media industries in London, San Francisco and Munich.

The taxman gets a little bit closer to big tech.
Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

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France and Germany have now reached a consensus on how to tax some of the Silicon Valley giants. America, the ball's in your court.

The two countries released a statement in the early hours of Tuesday morning declaring their support for a 3 percent tax on digital ads, providing a breakthrough in European Union wrangling on how to deal with big tech. It's essentially a levy on Facebook Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc.