G20 must ensure developing nations earn revenues from global tax deal: FM

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday called on G20 countries to ensure that developing nations do not face any “unintended consequences” of the proposed global minimum tax deal at the G20 and earn “meaningful revenues”.

She also said that the concerns of developing nations should also be addressed while formulating rules for the proposed two-pillar tax deal to ensure a fairer and inclusive tax system.

“…it is necessary to guard against any unintended consequences, which may have an adverse impact on developing countries. We shall continue to work for the strengthening of international cooperation for a fairer, transparent, efficient and effective global tax system that supports and empowers the developing countries in their efforts to mobilise resources,” she said while addressing the G20 Ministerial Symposium on Tax and Development in Bali.

Overhaul of tax norms

A total of 130 countries, including India, had in July last year agreed to a overhaul of global tax norms to ensure that multinationals pay taxes wherever they operate and at a minimum 15 per cent rate. The Finance Ministry had then said that some significant issues, including share of profit allocation and scope of subject to tax rules, are yet to be addressed and a consensus agreement would happen after working out the technical details of the proposal.

The proposed two-pillar solution consists of two components. Pillar One is about reallocation of additional share of profit to the market jurisdictions and Pillar Two consists of minimum tax and subject to tax rules.

Developing countries make up almost one-third of the membership of the G20 inclusive framework for taxation.

“There is a need to ensure that the developing countries are able to effectively participate in the negotiations as well. Resource constraints and the limited capacities to participate in the discussions at the inclusive framework need to be addressed to ensure that membership of the developing countries result in their needs and concerns being articulated and heard and that truly is the inclusive framework,” the FM said.

Two-pillar solution

Sitharaman called on the G20 inclusive framework to support the active participation of all members in the finalisation of the technical aspects of the two-pillar solution. This, she said, would ensure a “fairer, sustainable and inclusive tax system, which results in meaningful revenue” for the developing countries.

“We need to have their (developing nations) inputs and include them particularly because these rules will affect them,” the minister said.

Both the pillars of the proposed taxation system should come into effect simultaneously for an equitable solution, Sitharaman said, adding “there is no way in which they can be implemented separately, because their effectiveness will be lost.”

With agency inputs