Press Release: Financial Transaction Tax under Enhanced Cooperation: Commission sets out the details

The details of the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) to be implemented under enhanced cooperation have been set out in a proposal adopted by the European Commission on 14 February 2013. As requested by the 11 Member States that will proceed with this tax, the proposed Directive mirrors the scope and objectives of the original FTT proposal put forward by the Commission in September 2011. The approach of taxing all transactions with an established link to the FTT-zone is maintained, as are the rates of 0.1% for shares and bonds and 0.01% for derivatives.

When applied by the 11 Member States, this Financial Transaction Tax is expected to deliver revenues of 30-35 billion euros a year.

There are certain limited changes in the 14 February 2013 FTT proposal compared to the original one, to take into account the fact that the tax will be implemented on a smaller geographical scale than originally foreseen. These changes are mainly to ensure legal clarity and to reinforce anti-avoidance and anti-abuse provisions.

ESO: Background information: Group-of-11 gets go ahead for financial transaction tax http://www.europeansources.info/record/group-of-11-gets-go-ahead-for-financial-transaction-tax/

European Commission: RAPID: Press Release, IP/12/115: Financial Transaction Tax under Enhanced Cooperation: Commission sets out the details http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-115_en.pdf

European Commission; DG Taxation and Customs Union; Taxation: Other taxes: Financial Sector: Taxation of the financial sector http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/other_taxes/financial_sector/index_en.htm

European Commission: MEMO/13/98: Financial Transaction Tax through Enhanced Cooperation: Questions and Answers http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-98_en.htm

European Commission: SPEECH/13/124: Financial Transaction Tax through Enhanced Cooperation http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-124_en.htm

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