Digital tax status quo is not clicking in Brussels

The tax pressure cooker in Brussels shows no signs of disappearing. In this high-stakes game, how should Paschal Donohoe play his hand?

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe Picture: Fergal Phillips

There’s a way Europeans talk about Irish tax in Dublin, and another in Brussels.

In Dublin last week, Jean-Claude Juncker was the epitome of continental charm, politely intoning that “fairness . . . extends to the digital world. Rules that apply offline should also apply online, especially when it comes to paying a fair share of tax on profits made.

“The truth is our tax laws have not kept up with the pace ...