Kenny: Digital sector may need new tax plan

EU efforts to tackle tax evasion by individuals and corporations have gained pace with Taoiseach Enda Kenny acknowledging that new digital industry may need a different kind of tax structure — something that applies to companies like Google and Facebook.

Attending an EU summit to discuss tax fraud and energy, he said he would read the Oxfam report that claimed Irish financial institutions may be shielding up to €707bn from tax authorities around the world, adding that, “if there is anything of interest to us, we will follow it through”.

EU leaders did not ask him about the US Senate reports that said Apple used Irish tax loopholes to pay an effective tax rate of less than 2% on profits over the past decade.