Annual tax evasion in Europe estimated at possibly 825 billion euro

Deutsche Version

The Director of Tax Research LLP and Professor of International Political Economy Practice at the University of London, Mr Richard Murphy, published a report in January 2019  according to which the tax loss from non-payment of taxes within the economies of the EU Member States could amount to 825 billion euros per year (reference year is 2015). 
It is difficult to estimate the actual loss, as the professor’s assumptions are based, among other things, on the fact that this loss is largely due to tax evasion.
The researcher confirms that the estimate is lower than in 2009, the year for which such an estimate was most recently made, and attributes this development to measures already taken by the EU against tax evasion.
In this context, the EU Directive amending Directive 2011/16/EU with regard to mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation of reportable cross-border transactions last entered into force on 25.06.2018. This directive must be transposed into national law by 31.12.2019. 
From Professor Richard Murphy’s report, the Socialist Group in the European Parliament derives, among other things, the demand that every EU member state should in future regularly and consistently produce an estimate of the loss resulting from tax evasion and that questionable tax regulations should be abolished throughout the EU.
In addition, corporate profits should be subject to a minimum tax across the EU in order to prevent companies within the EU from shifting their profits for tax reasons.