Ireland will have to put up a fight against the EU if it is to stop plans to harmonise Europe's corporate tax base, according to MEP, Eoin Ryan.
He said the Commissioner for Taxation wants to introduce proposals for a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) by 2008 and Ireland has a 'serious battle' on its hands if it wants to stop this.
His warning comes after a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Taxation Lazslo Kovacs in Strasbourg today.
Representatives from IBEC and the Irish Banking Federation were also at the meeting.
Mr Ryan, who is a member of the economics committee in the European Parliament, said some countries, such as Germany, France and Italy, are demanding a mandatory system for a common consolidated corporate tax base be put in place.
' I don't believe in assurances that a common consolidated corporate tax base will only be optional . That is because those who support CCCTB want to introduce common corporate tax rates too', he said.
