The French parliament has adopted a new tax targetting giant tech companies operating in the country, in defiance to a warning against the same by the United States of America.
This comes after the Donald Trump-led nation's Wednesday warning that it would take actions against against France if it establishes that it is taxing American companies.
But French lawmakers on Thursday proceeded to establish a 3 percent tax on among others, Amazon and Facebook, on grounds that companies must be taxed where they operate.
They argued that America's argument that the companies, also including Apple, are already being taxed at their headquarters in the US and should not be subjected to another tax.
But the lawmakers noted that France is a sovereign state which cannot be dictated to how to operate and how to handle businesses taking part within its territories.
“France is a sovereign state, it decides its fiscal provisions in a sovereign manner, and it will continue to decide its tax decisions in a sovereign manner,” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in Parliament, according to the Washington Post.
He added that the alliance between the US and France is not reasons for the US to interfere with French tax policies, adding that threats will not work with France.
“I believe profoundly that between allies, we should and we can settle our differences by other means than threats,” he added.
The tax set to affect 30 companies headquartered in US is expected to be signed into law by President Emanuel Macron, to whom taxing has been a priority, soon.
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