G20 leaders endorse global corporate minimum tax at Rome summit
G20 world leaders have endorsed a global minimum tax on corporations as part of an agreement on new international tax rules.
The move by the leaders of the world’s biggest economies is a step toward building more fairness amid the surging revenues of some multinational businesses.
US treasury secretary Janet L Yellen hailed it as benefiting American businesses and workers.
Back in July, G20 finance ministers agreed on a 15% minimum tax – so its formal endorsement at the summit on Saturday in Rome of the world’s economic powerhouses had been expected.
(L-R) Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Joe Biden at the G20 summit
In a statement, Ms Yellen predicted that the deal on new international tax rules, with a minimum global tax, “will end the damaging race to the bottom on corporate taxation”.
Despite the dealing falling short of US President Joe Biden‘s original call for a 21% minimum tax, he welcomed the decision.
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“Here at the G20, leaders representing 80% of the world’s GDP – allies and competitors alike – made clear their support for a strong global minimum tax,” the president said in a tweet.
“This is more than just a tax deal – it’s diplomacy reshaping our global economy and delivering for our people.”
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (left) said vaccine inequality was ‘morally unacceptable’
White House officials have claimed the new tax rate would create at least $60bn (£43.8bn) in new revenue a year in the US, which could partially pay for a nearly $3tn (£2.1tn) social services and infrastructure package that Mr Biden is seeking.
On the subject of fairness across the globe, including access to COVID-19 vaccines, the summit also heard pleas to boost the percentage of people in poor countries having access to jabs.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, an economist and former chief of the European Central Bank, called to speed up vaccines reaching poorer countries as he opened the conference.
Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the leaders at the summit
He highlighted that only 3% of people in the world’s poorest countries are vaccinated, while 70% in rich countries have had at least one shot.
“These differences are morally unacceptable and undermine the global recovery,” said Mr Draghi.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to use the summit to urge fellow European Union leaders to be more generous in donating vaccines to low-income countries.
Italy hopes the G20 will secure crucial commitments from countries representing 80% of the global economy ahead of the UN climate conference, COP26, that begins in Glasgow on Sunday.
The majority of the summit leaders in Rome will travel to Glasgow as soon as the G20 ends on Sunday afternoon.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, is to sign off the appointment of a chair of English football’s new referee within days.
Sky News has learnt that David Kogan, a media industry veteran who has helped negotiate a string of television rights deals across the sport in recent decades, is to be formally approved as chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).
Whitehall sources said an announcement could be made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as soon as this week, although they added that the timetable could slip by a few days.
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Once approved, Mr Kogan is expected to face a committee of MPs for a confirmation hearing early next month, the sources added.
Sky News revealed last weekend that Mr Kogan had emerged as the frontrunner for the post after an earlier shortlist of three candidates was passed over.
The new regulator has the firm backing of Sir Keir Starmer, and is a key element of legislation currently passing through Parliament.
Mr Kogan, whose boardroom roles have included a directorship at state-owned Channel 4, was initially approached during a previous recruitment process launched under the last Conservative administration.
He has some links to Labour, having in the past donated money to a number of individual parliamentary candidates, chairing LabourList, the independent news site, and writing two books about the party.
Mr Kogan has had extensive experience at the top of English football, having advised clients including the Premier League, English Football League, Scottish Premier League and UEFA on television rights contracts.
Last year, he acted as the lead negotiator for the Women’s Super League and Championship on their latest five-year broadcasting deals with Sky – the immediate parent company of Sky News – and the BBC.
His current roles include advising the chief executives of CNN, the American broadcast news network, and The New York Times Company on talks with digital platforms about the growing influence of artificial intelligence on their industries.
In recent months, Sky News has disclosed the identities of the shortlisted candidates for the role, with former Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC chief executive Christian Purslow one of three candidates who made it to a supposedly final group of contenders.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy. File pic: Reuters
The others were Sanjay Bhandari, who chairs the anti-racism football charity Kick It Out, and Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, who chaired the new parliamentary watchdog established after the MPs expenses scandal.
The apparent hiatus in the appointment of the IFR’s £130,000-a-year chair threatened to reignite speculation that Sir Keir was seeking to diminish its powers amid a broader clampdown on Britain’s economic watchdogs.
Both 10 Downing Street and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have sought to dismiss those suggestions, with insiders insisting that the IFR will be established largely as originally envisaged.
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The creation of the IFR, which will be based in Manchester, is among the principal elements of legislation now progressing through parliament, with Royal Assent expected before the summer recess.
The Football Governance Bill has completed its journey through the House of Lords and will be introduced in the Commons shortly, according to the DCMS.
The regulator was conceived by the Tories in the wake of the furore over the failed European Super League project, but has triggered deep unrest in parts of English football.
Its creation forms part of a process that represents the most fundamental shake-up in the oversight of English football in the game’s history.
The establishment of the body comes with the top tier of the professional game gripped by civil war, with Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City at the centre of a number of legal cases with the Premier League over its financial dealings.
The Premier League is also keen to agree a long-delayed financial redistribution deal with the EFL before the regulator is formally launched, although there has been little progress towards that in the last year.
“We do not comment on speculation,” a DCMS spokesperson said when asked about the impending announcement of Mr Kogan as the IFR chair.
“No appointment has been made and the recruitment process for [IFR] chair is ongoing.”
A UK-based car distributor has seen its shares hit a four-year low after reporting a fall in sales and warning of hits ahead from Donald Trump’s trade war.
Inchcape, which exports cars for manufacturers across more than 40 countries globally, saw its stock lose up to 16.9% in early trading on Wednesday after its first quarter trading update.
It told investors that while it was not currently experiencing damage from the Trump administration’s 25% tariffs on all US car imports, revenue fell by 5% over the three months to March to £2.1bn.
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Inchcape reported a resilient performance from its Americas division but struggles in its Asia-Pacific and European markets.
The period was dominated by trade war fears generally as the US president’s second term got under way and was marked by a surge in demand for goods in the US in a bid to beat any tariffs he threatened to impose.
Inchcape blamed the revenue decline on a strong comparable period in 2024 and “mixed market momentum”, led by that dash for shipments to the US to beat the imposition of any additional US duties.
They were universally imposed earlier this month, but Mr Trump has since signalled that some exemptions may soon be applied.
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There are fears that a prolonged period of trade disruption could result in job losses within the UK car industry and its supply chain.
Inchcape reaffirmed its 2025 guidance but said that excluded any impacts from tariffs.
Its actions to mitigate the effects included a focus on costs and inventory.
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Chief executive Duncan Tait said: “Demand is not currently being impacted by the tariff situation, although we do expect to see potential impacts on supply from our OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), the competitive environment, and market demand.
“We are taking proactive steps to support our key stakeholders, including taking a conservative approach to managing inventory levels, ensuring we remain disciplined on costs, focusing on cash generation and maintaining our strong balance sheet.”
Shares had recovered some poise by mid-morning, trading down by just over 7% following the initial slump.
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