The Ministry of Finance said the reports about the introduction of a tax of 1.5% on electronic communications services are not true. In a press release, quoted by IPN, the Ministry says the draft fiscal policy for 2018 and the proposals formulated as a result of public debates on the fiscal policy do not envision the introduction of such a tax.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the possibility of replacing the current tax of 2.5% on mobile telephone services with a tax of 1.5% on electronic communications services has been considered during the last few years. The money collected from the tax of 2.5% is allocated in the form of financial support to socially deprived persons, such as pensioners, persons unable to work, families with children and persons in emergencies. A sum of 80 million lei was accumulated in the 2016 state budget in this tax.
Last week, the Political Party “Platform Dignity and Truth” said there is a legislative initiative that envisions the introduction of a new tax of 1.5% of the revenues earned by IT companies from providing electronic communications services. According to representatives of the party, this will lead to a heavier burden on small and medium-sized companies operating in the field and on final consumers as the operators will have to increase the Internet, TV and telephone tariffs. This week, businessmen working in the IT sector convened a meeting where they expressed their disagreement with the introduction of a new tax.
