CIOT/IFS debate: The digital services tax

From April next year, the UK government plan to introduce a new 2% tax on the revenues of search engines, social media platforms and online marketplaces which derive value from UK users. A similar French proposal is already in place. Both the British and French governments – and those of other countries planning similar measures – say these taxes are temporary and they will scrap them once international agreement is reached in this area.

Our expert panel will explore both the principles of DSTs and the specifics of the UK Government’s proposal. Are DSTs a sensible and fair way of taxing large digital companies? Is the scope and level of the UK proposal appropriate? Is it helpful, or even possible, to ringfence the digital economy from the traditional economy? Does this presage a wider shift to taxing business revenues, and what would be the implications of that? These are just some of the questions they will reflect upon.

The debate panel will consist of:

Richard Collier - Senior Tax Advisor, OECD

Mike Devereux - Director, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation

Ali Kennedy - Vice President Group Tax, Sophos Group

Glyn Fullelove - President, Chartered Institute of Taxation

The debate will be chaired by Paul Johnson, Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies

The debate will conclude by 20:00 and will be followed by a drinks reception. This event is free to attend but must be registered for via the CIOT website.

This is the sixteenth in a series of lectures and debates being organised by the CIOT and the IFS to promote debate among policy-makers, opinion-formers and the wider tax and economics communities on the future of the UK and international tax systems.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact @email.