EU postpones tax implementation for Apple, Google and Meta

As the European Commission prepared to include a digital tax targeting the largest tech corporations in the EU budget, geopolitics intervened. Donald Trump, the US presidential candidate and potential negotiator for Washington, made it clear that such fiscal measures could turn into trade responses. After that, the digital tax clause disappeared from the EU budget plans without a trace.

Formally, nothing has been canceled. But in practice, it looks like an elegant capitulation: instead of pressure on Big Tech, there is a diplomatic “okay, later.”

What this means for tech giants

For companies like Google, Apple, Amazon and Meta, this is a big win. The tax waiver removes the risk of a new supranational bureaucracy and allows corporations to continue operating within the framework of existing regulatory acts — the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act — without additional fiscal burden.

Nevertheless, the signal is clear: the political will in the EU to pressure Big Tech has not disappeared. It is simply a change in tactics – if not with taxes, then with fees, if not directly, then through environmental regulations or measures to protect digital sovereignty. Corporations are likely to adapt strategies, but countries like Ireland, where budgets depend on taxes from these companies, may find themselves in a difficult position.

A temporary pause, but not the end of the game

The EU’s tactical withdrawal means abandoning its goals. Alternative mechanisms are already being discussed in Brussels: from e-waste levies to tobacco taxes and excess profits. All of this could be refocused on Big Tech – under different formulations and in different forms.

So far, the main result is a gain of time. For the industry, it is a chance to regroup, for the EU an opportunity to prepare a new strategy. The game is ongoing and the finale has not yet been determined.