Sarkozy proposes Google tax to help French artists
France could start taxing internet advertising revenue from online companies such as Google, using the funds to support creative industries that have been hit by the digital revolution.
The proposal, put forward in a government-commissioned survey, is France’s latest challenge to Google and its online rivals.
Google said that it does not believe an additional tax on internet advertising is the way forward.
France has caused controversy in the past by introducing some of the world’s harshest laws against online piracy.
The tax, which would also apply to other operators such as MSN and Yahoo, would put an end to “enrichment without any limit or compensation,” the report’s authors said. .
It would apply even if the operator had its offices outside France, as long as the internet users who click on ads or sponsored links are in France.