Exclusive: European Commissioner Šemeta backs FAT

Salman Shaheen

January 18 2011

In a speech to the European Parliament last week, Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, supported the “promising option” of a financial activities tax (FAT). In an exclusive interview, International Tax Review spoke to Commissioner Šemeta about why he favours a FAT at the EU level over a financial transactions tax (FTT), how it might work and the challenges to be overcome.

Unlock this content.

The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers.

To unlock this content:

Take a Free Trial or Login

Topics

Salman Shaheen

Salman Shaheen worked at ITR between 2010 and 2017

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Direct Tax

A taxing week: Firms’ archaic paternity leave should be consigned to history

There is a shocking discrepancy between professional services firms’ parental leave packages. Those that fail to get with the times risk losing out in the war for talent

Tom Baker, January 30 2026

Direct Tax

Partners greenlight Winston & Strawn-Taylor Wessing merger

Winston Taylor is expected to launch in May 2026 with more than 1,400 lawyers across the US, UK, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East

Noemi Distefano, January 30 2026

Direct Tax

This week in tax: Donald Trump and sons sue IRS and US Treasury for $10bn

They are alleging that leaked tax information ‘unfairly tarnished’ their business operations; in other news, Davis Polk and Eversheds Sutherland made key tax hires

Sam Sholli, January 30 2026

Direct Tax

KPMG UK partners paid more than EY and PwC counterparts

Overall revenues for the combined UK and Swiss firm inched up 2% to £3.6 billion despite a ‘challenging market’

Sam Sholli, January 29 2026

Direct Tax

Tiger Global analysis part 1: TRCs not sufficient proof of residency

In the first of a two-part series, experts from Khaitan & Co dissect a highly anticipated Indian Supreme Court ruling that marks a decisive shift in India’s international tax jurisprudence

Sanjay Sanghvi, January 29 2026

Transfer Pricing

Brazil’s updated TP profile represents full arm’s-length principle alignment: advisers

The OECD profile signals Brazil is no longer a jurisdiction where TP can be treated as a mechanical compliance exercise, one expert suggests, though another highlights 'significant concerns'

Sam Sholli, January 28 2026

Direct Tax

How Libya’s stamp duty is the gatekeeper investors often miss

Libya’s often-overlooked stamp duty can halt payments and freeze contracts, making this quiet tax a decisive hurdle for foreign investors to clear, writes Salaheddin El Busefi

Salaheddin El Busefi , January 28 2026

Direct Tax

Business process management and workflow automation diagram with

Common pitfalls in tax automation: what CFOs need to know

Eugena Cerny shares hard-earned lessons from tax automation projects and explains how to navigate internal roadblocks and miscommunications

Eugena Cerny, January 27 2026

Direct Tax

Can virtual services create a service PE? Analysing Indian litigation

The Clifford Chance and Hyatt cases collectively confirm a fundamental principle of international tax law: permanent establishment is a concept based on physical and territorial presence

Sameer Sharma, January 26 2026

Direct Tax

PwC scandal reminds all tax firms of their duties, says minister

Australian government minister Andrew Leigh reflects on the fallout of the scandal three years on and looks ahead to regulatory changes

Tom Ravlic, January 26 2026