U.S. Wants U.K., France to Pause Digital Tax Plans, Harter Says

The U.S. is engaged in “vigorous diplomacy” in an attempt to stop countries from adopting unilateral tax measures that target digital companies, a top U.S. Treasury official said.

“Our greatest concern at the moment are the proposed digital service taxes,” said Lafayette “Chip” Harter, deputy assistant secretary of international tax affairs at the Treasury Department. Harter referenced France and the U.K.'s proposed digital services taxes at a May 10 American Bar Association tax section meeting in Washington.

“We’ve been arguing very strongly that any such taxes should be deferred until after 2020 to give the OECD a ...