Germany is thinking about introducing a 10% tax on big online companies like Google (owned by Alphabet) and Facebook (owned by Meta). The country’s new Culture Minister, Wolfram Weimer, shared this plan in an interview with Stern magazine. This move could create more tension between Germany and the U.S. government, especially with President Donald Trump.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz may soon visit Washington to discuss the matter with President Trump, though the trip hasn’t been officially announced yet. Trump has said in the past that he won’t let foreign countries tax American companies unfairly.
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Minister Weimer said his ministry is working on a new law while also talking with tech companies to see if they’re willing to make voluntary contributions instead of being taxed. He accused companies like Google and Facebook of avoiding taxes in clever ways.
“These companies make billions in Germany, enjoy our media, culture, and infrastructure, but they pay very little tax, invest too little, and don’t give back enough to our society,” he told Stern.
So far, Google and Meta haven’t responded to requests for comment.
Germany’s ruling parties had already agreed earlier this year to introduce a digital tax. If the plan goes ahead, Germany would join other countries like the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, India, Austria, and Canada, which already have similar taxes on digital services.
Back in Trump’s first term, the U.S. government had investigated and even threatened tariffs on countries that introduced these kinds of taxes, saying they unfairly targeted American companies. In February, Trump asked for these investigations to be reopened, which could lead to new tariffs on imports.
Despite that, Germany’s new government—just recently in office—seems determined to go ahead with the tax plan.
Weimer also warned that big digital companies are becoming too powerful. He said they act like monopolies, limit competition, and control too much of the media, which can threaten freedom of speech.
He gave an example: “If Google, under Trump’s pressure, decided to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and everyone had to accept it because of Google’s global influence—that shows how dangerous their power can be.”
