Harmonizing Data Privacy and Mediation: A Progressive Outlook in India's Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023

From inventing the bulb to defying possibilities with the touch of a button, mankind has come a long way in technology to reach where we are today. Globally, there are 5.19 billion internet users[1], and the tremendous volume of data exchanged over cyberspace emphasizes the need to protect sensitive private data from exploitation by institutions. According to UNCTAD[2], 137 out of 194 nations have legislation to protect the data and privacy of their citizens on the internet.

Having legislation and regulating bodies is essential to ensuring devious cyber activities are kept in check. The Indian Legislator has been expeditiously working on the drafting of the Data Protection Law. The recently unveiled Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, marks a significant milestone in India’s legislative journey, following numerous previous endeavours and extensive consultations with stakeholders from diverse domains, greatly influencing its formulation.

 

Right to Privacy vis-à-vis Puttaswamy Judgment

In the well-known Supreme Court decision of K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India[3], which recognized “privacy” as intrinsic to the right to life and liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, establishing “right to privacy” as a fundamental right, the groundwork for a single statute of legislation for the protection of data in India was laid down in 2017. The Puttaswamy Judgment touches on protections for people in the private realm while primarily addressing the range of rights of a citizen as opposed to the State. The Supreme Court found that the State had a positive burden of upholding and sustaining this dignity and connected the value of privacy to the value of individual dignity. The Puttaswamy Judgment serves as the basis for both establishing a prohibition against privacy-violating State activities and the State’s duty to regulate private contracts and private data sharing in order to protect individual privacy.

 

Timeline of the Bill

The first draft of the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill was proposed by the Justice Shrikrishna Committee in 2018. Since then, the legislative process has witnessed a series of turbulent turns, starting with the introduction of the PDP Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha. The bill was subsequently sent to the Joint Committee for review but was eventually withdrawn in December 2021. The following year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released another Draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, (DPDP) 2022, which was made open for public comment in November 2022.[4] However, this version received several criticisms and businesses complained about onerous provisions on cross border data transfer.

Moving on to the present timeframe, the Union Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 3rd August, 2023 introduced the new bill in the Lok Sabha during Monsoon session of Parliament.[5] The long journey of the Bill was foreseeable since it is arduous to strike the perfect balance between the Fundamental Right to privacy along with the permissible limitations linked to this entitlement, business feasibility, and the international criteria for being recognized as an appropriate jurisdiction for data processing.

 

The New Road: Mediation

In a progressive step towards strengthening India’s data protection framework, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 reflects a notable emphasis on Mediation as an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism. This emphasis signifies the legislature’s recognition of Mediation as an effective means to address data-related disputes while promoting fair and amicable resolutions.

Comparing the language between the 2022 and 2023 versions of the bill reveals a significant shift in focus. Section 23 of the 2022 bill provided the Board with the discretion to direct parties towards mediation or any other dispute resolution process if deemed appropriate. However, in the 2023 bill, the language has been further refined in Section 33, clearly stating that if the Board believes a complaint may be better resolved through mediation, it can direct the concerned parties to attempt mediation, leaving little room for ambiguity. This explicit inclusion of mediation in the text underlines its growing importance as a preferred ADR mechanism in data protection matters.

Furthermore, the recent passage of the Mediation Bill 2021 by the Rajya Sabha offers additional evidence of the legislature’s dedication to promoting mediation as an integral part of India’s legal landscape. The Mediation Bill seeks to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for mediation, bolstering its credibility as a legitimate dispute resolution process. With the establishment of the Mediation Council of India and provisions for pre-litigation mediation and legally binding mediated settlement agreements, the Mediation Bill reinforces the government’s commitment to make mediation an acceptable and cost-effective means of resolving disputes.

 

The Balancing Act

The unveiling of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, marks a momentous step in India’s legislative journey towards protecting individuals’ data privacy rights. Drawing inspiration from the landmark Puttaswamy Judgment, which recognized the right to privacy as a fundamental right, the new bill brings redefined concepts and provisions that align with the evolving data protection landscape.

One striking feature of the 2023 bill is its strong emphasis on Mediation as an Alternate Dispute Resolution mechanism. The legislative shift from the 2022 version, coupled with the recent passage of the Mediation Bill 2021 by the Rajya Sabha, showcases the government’s earnest efforts to promote mediation as an effective means of resolving data-related disputes. With the explicit inclusion of mediation in the text and the establishment of the Mediation Council of India, the bill reinforces mediation’s credibility as a preferred method for fair and amicable resolutions.

As India progresses in the digital era, the new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, stands as a testament to the nation’s commitment to safeguarding data privacy while actively embracing mediation as an instrumental tool for resolving data disputes. By creating a balance between individual privacy rights and business feasibility, this bill ushers in a new era of data protection in the country, inspiring confidence among its citizens and businesses alike. With the combined efforts of the legislative and mediation frameworks, India is poised to set new standards for data protection and dispute resolution in the global arena.

References:

[1] Internet and social media users in the world 2023, Statista (2023), https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/#:~:text=Worldwide%20digital%20population%202023&text=As%20of%20April%202023%2C%20there,population%2C%20were%20social%20media%20users. 

[2] Data Protection and Privacy Legislation Worldwide, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2023), https://unctad.org/page/data-protection-and-privacy-legislation-worldwide 

[3] Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) & Anr. vs. Union of India & Ors., AIR 2017 SC 4161.

[4] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022,  https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/The%20Digital%20Personal%20Data%20Potection%20Bill%2C%202022_0.pdf.

[5] IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduces Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 in Lok Sabha, Newsonair.gov.in (2023), https://newsonair.gov.in/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=465464

One striking feature of the 2023 bill is its strong emphasis on Mediation as an Alternate Dispute Resolution mechanism. The legislative shift from the 2022 version, coupled with the recent passage of the Mediation Bill 2021 by the Rajya Sabha, showcases the government’s earnest efforts to promote mediation as an effective means of resolving data-related disputes. 

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The Dawning of Data Centres in West Bengal

It is rightly said that “Data” is the new oil in today’s digital world. Data consumption and cloud-based services have grown exponentially in the past decade, and they are increasing their efficiency by making use of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Consequentially, the requirement for storage and management of data has grown as well. This demand, along with the government initiatives for digitising India, has given rise to the growth of data centres in the country.

The data centre industry is expected to grow further in the next few years to provide support for the upcoming 5G technology. Data centres require round-the-clock uninterrupted availability of power to operate effectively. However, such requirements inevitably increase carbon-di-oxide emissions. Therefore, there has also been a significant push towards the establishment of “Green Data Centres” – a sustainable solution that is dependent only on renewable energy.

In view of the increasing significance of data, data centers, and the associated regulatory requirements of data localization, the Legislature has also brought about various reforms such as the Digital India programme in order to regulate the entire data industry. However, a comprehensive framework specifically aimed at regulating the construction and operation of data centers is still needed.

 

Concept of Data Centres

 

A data centre is a physical facility that houses all virtual activities and is used to store applications and data, for edge computing, hosting content, and delivering cloud-based services. Data centres cover the three sectors of property, energy, and technology, and thus, various segments such as real estate and construction, hardware equipment, utilities (power, water, cooling), networking, and software services all come within their ambit.

 

National and Global Context

 

The last few years have seen rapid growth in the digital industries such as gaming, Edtech, OTT platforms, e-commerce, etc., in India. These industries are heavily dependent on data centre support. Further, the fast growth in cross-border transactions and the digitisation of transactions has impelled the Indian government to implement data localization mandates in order to ensure data protection and sovereignty. Consequently, global players are now looking to invest in establishing data centres in India, which makes it important to examine the facilities offered to the data centre industry by leading nations in this sector.

 

United States

Different states in the US provide different incentives to investors for setting up data centres. For example, Alabama exempts data centres from sales and property taxes, Hawaii offers job creation incentives, Florida offers industry tax refunds through the Florida Enterprise Zone, and so on.

 

China

China is the world leader in internet consumption; hence, data centres have grown there rapidly. At present, it is placed in the second position in the market capacity of data centres, right after the US. The Chinese Government has incentivised the construction of data centres through the allocation of land for the same and making it available at favourable prices. China’s National Development and Reform Commission has launched a project called “Eastern Data Western Calculation,” which aims to move the data collected from developed regions of the country to less developed ones.  Apart from this, several local governments in the central and western regions of the country offer tax benefits for setting up data centres.

 

Singapore

Singapore has several facilities, such as a country-wide fibre network, a corporate tax exemption for a data centre company under the Pioneer Certificate Incentive, a concessionary tax rate of 5% or 10% for a company under the Development and Expansion Incentive, on-site power plants, dual power feeds, etc. to incentivise the setting up of data centres.

 

Regulatory Framework in India

 

The size of the digital economy in India is estimated to grow from $ 200 billion in 2017-2018 to $ 1 trillion by 2025.

Currently, there is no single legal framework regulating the construction and operation of data centres in India. Several guidelines have been issued from time to time by various government departments relating to the data centre industry. One such draft guideline named “Data Centre Policy 2020” was published by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and proposed to give the status of “infrastructure” to data centres, putting the data centre industry on the same pedestal as roads, railways, and power, which would enable them to avail long-term credit from domestic and international lenders at easier terms. Some of the other salient features proposed by this policy are:

  • Data centres are to be declared an Essential Service under “The Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1968” to enable continued service during calamities or crises.
  • Data centres are to be recognised as a separate category under the National Building Code of India 2016 as they require different norms than other commercial spaces.
  • Four Data Centre Economic Zones (DCEZ) are proposed to be set up by the Government of India, which will host an eco-system of both non-IT and IT infrastructures such as hyper scale data centres, cloud service providers, IT companies, and R&D units.
  • Incentives for setting up data centres will be available to both private sector and public sector Data Centre Parks/Data Centre Developers and Data Centre Operators.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had also published a consultation paper on “Regulatory Framework for Promoting Data Economy Through Establishment of Data Centres, Content Delivery Networks, and Interconnect Exchanges in India,” which provides a list of clearances required to build a data centre, some of which are listed below:

  • Environment Clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change
  • Consent to Establishment from the Metropolitan Development Authority and Central Pollution Control Board
  • Provisional Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Fire and Rescue Services/National Fire Protection Association
  • Storm Water Permits and Sewage Discharge Approval from the State Pollution Control Board
  • Tree Cutting NOC from the Central Pollution Control Board: Forest Department
  • Drainage/Garden NOC from the Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board
  • Building Permit/Approvals, and Commencement Certificate from the Metropolitan Development Authority
  • Telecom Permit from the state’s Service Provider/Controller of Communication Accounts
  • Water Supply from Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board
  • Power Connection Feasibility, Design, and Sanction from the State Electricity Board
  • Traffic Approval NOC from the Commissioner of Traffic
  • NOC for High-Rise Structure from Airport Authority of India
  • Registration with DIC from the Director of Industry
  • IEM Registration with the Ministry of Commerce
  • 220kV power connection cable laying from a substation to project premises and 220kV power connection substation testing and charging from the State Electricity Board
  • Form V Approval (Labour) from the Labour Department: State Government
  • Plinth Checking Certificate from the Metropolitan Development Authority
  • Electricity Safety License from the Central Electricity Authority/Chief Electrical Inspector to the Government/Public Works Department Electrical Inspector
  • Elevator Permits and Certification from the Central Electricity Authority/Chief Electrical Inspector to the Government/Public Works Department (PWD) Electrical Inspector
  • Diesel Generator System Approval from the Central Electricity Authority/Chief Electrical Inspector to Government/PWD Electrical Inspector
  • High Speed Diesel (HSD) License from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization/Chief Controller of Explosives Department/PWD: Electrical Inspector
  • Lift Operating Permits from the PWD Lift Inspector
  • Occupancy Certificate from the Metropolitan Development Authority
  • Completion Certificate from the Metropolitan Development Authority
  • Consent to Operate Certification from the Central Pollution Control Board
  • Preliminary Explosive License and Final Explosive License for HSD from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization/Chief Controller of Explosives Department

Several states have promulgated their own data centre policies, such as Maharashtra, through its IT/ITES Policy of 2015; Telangana, through its Telangana Data Centre Policy of 2016; Uttar Pradesh, through the Uttar Pradesh Data Centre Policy of 2021; Tamil Nadu, through the Tamil Nadu Data Centre Policy of 2021; Karnataka, through the Karnataka Data Centre Policy, 2022-27 and West Bengal, through the West Bengal Data Centre Policy of 2021.

 

Regulatory Framework in West Bengal

 

On September 6, 2021, the Department of Information Technology and Electronics, Government of West Bengal, introduced the “West Bengal Data Centre Policy 2021,” which will be valid for a period of five years from the date of the notification.

The nodal agency for the proper implementation of this policy is WBEIDC Limited (WEBEL), and they will promote it at both a national and international level.

In 2022, it was announced that the Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub being developed at New Town, Rajarhat, is expected to become the main area for the development of the data centre units in the state. The biggest advantage for West Bengal is that the new submarine cable landing station is being developed at Tajpur in West Bengal and ancillary units will be created in the two electronics manufacturing clusters at Kalyani and Falta for supporting the data centres.

Data centre organisations will be classified as “Essential Services,” as has also been proposed in the National Policy.

In order to attract data centre companies to set up data centres in West Bengal, various other incentives have been proposed in the policy. The companies setting up data centres in West Bengal will be entitled to a hundred per cent exemption of stamp duty and registration fees for any transaction relating to the setting up of data centres in the state, and there will also be a waiver of electricity duty from the commencement of commercial activities up to five years.

Among the non-financial incentives, the data centres will also be entitled to:

  • Dual-power grid networks to ensure electricity supply without interruption
  • “Industrial” status is given to electricity supplied to data centres
  • Affordable power backup infrastructure
  • Companies who wish to establish captive firms will get single-window approvals and permits
  • Quality power and internet facilities are to be provided to Edge Data Centres being set up at various IT parks or industrial parks
  • Uninterrupted Power Supply and Internet Connectivity
  • Uninterrupted and high-speed water supply
  • A support system to be provided to set up captive water treatment plants for the Data Centre Parks
  • Extra FAR for data centre buildings.

West Bengal is becoming a lucrative option for setting up new data centres, and various corporate houses such as Reliance Jio, Adani Enterprises, and Hiranandani Group are also in the process of setting up data centres in the state. Several factors need to be taken into account before setting up a Data Centre and real estate is a significant one among them because data centres are one of the most expensive real estate investments. Extensive due diligence should be performed on the project site to ensure that it has a clear title and easy access to transportation and other utilities. In addition to this, all the relevant licenses and permissions should be obtained from the competent authorities to avoid legal issues in the future. Considering the progressive policies implemented by governments at both the central and state levels, it will be interesting to see how the data centre industry develops and how these policies affect it. 

Image Credits: Photo by Akela999 from Pixabay 

West Bengal is becoming a lucrative option for setting up new data centres, and various corporate houses such as Reliance Jio, Adani Enterprises, and Hiranandani Group are also in the process of setting up data centres in the state. Several factors need to be taken into account before setting up a Data Centre and real estate is a significant one among them because data centres are one of the most expensive real estate investments. Extensive due diligence should be performed on the project site to ensure that it has a clear title and easy access to transportation and other utilities.

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OECD BEPS Framework: Recent Development

Addressing tax issues arising in the digital economy has been a priority of the international community since past several years. It aims to deliver a consensus-based solution and ensure Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) pay a fair share of tax in the jurisdiction they operate. After years of intensive negotiations, the Organization for Export Co-operation and Development (OECD) / G20 has recently introduced a major reform in the international tax framework for taxing the Digital Economy.

The OECD / G20 inclusive framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) [“IF”] has issued a Statement, on 8th October 2021, agreeing on a two pillar-solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy. There are 136 countries, including India, out of a total of 140 countries, representing more than 90% of the global GDP, that have agreed to this Statement. All members of the OECD countries have joined in this initiative and there are four G20 country members  (i.e. Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan & Sri Lanka) who have not yet joined. The broad framework of the two-pillar approach as per the Statement is as follows:

 

Pillar One

 

Introduction and applicability:

  • Pillar One focuses on fairer distribution of revenue and allocation of taxing rights between the market jurisdictions (where the users are located), based on a ‘’special purpose nexus’’ rule, using a revenue-based allocation.
  • Applicable to large MNEs with a global turnover in excess of  Euro 20 Billion and profitability above 10% (i.e. profit before tax)[1]. This revenue threshold is expected to be reduced to Euro 10 Billion, upon successful review, after 7 years of the IF coming into force.
  • The regulated financial services sector and extractive industries are kept out of the scope of Pillar One.

 

Calculation Methodology:

  • Such allocation will help determine the ‘’Amount A’’ under Pillar one.
  • The special-purpose nexus rule will apply solely to determine whether a jurisdiction qualifies for Amount A allocation based on which 25% of residual profits, defined as profit in excess of 10% of revenue, would be allocated to the market jurisdictions using a revenue-based allocation key.
  • Allocation vis-à-vis nexus rule will be provided for market jurisdictions in which the MNE derives at least Euro 1 Million  of revenue  [Euro 250,000  for smaller jurisdictions (i.e. jurisdiction having  GDP lower than Euro 40 Billion )]
  • Profits will be based on financial accounting income, subject to:
    • Minimal adjustments; and
    • Carry forward of losses
  • Detailed revenue sourcing rules for specific categories of transactions shall be developed to ensure that revenues are sourced to end market jurisdiction, where goods or services are consumed.
  • Safe harbour rules will be separately notified, so as to cap the allocation of baseline marketing and distribution profits of the MNE, which may otherwise already be taxed in the market jurisdiction.

 

Tax Certainty:

  • Rules will be developed to ensure that no double taxation of profits gets allocated to the market jurisdiction, by using either the exemption or the credit method.
  • Commitment has been provided to have mandatory and binding dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms to eliminate double taxation of Amount A and also resolve issues w.r.t transfer pricing and business profits disputes.
  • An elective binding dispute resolution mechanism for issues related to Amount A will be available only for developing economies, in certain cases. The eligibility of jurisdiction for this elective mechanism will be reviewed regularly.

 

Implementation:

  • Amount A will be implemented through a Multilateral Convention (MLC), which will be developed to introduce a multilateral framework for all the jurisdictions that join the IF.
  • The IF has mandated the Task Force on the Digital Economy (TFDE) to define and clarify the features of Amount A (e.g. elimination of double taxation, Marketing and Distribution Profits Safe Harbour), develop the MLC, and negotiate its content so that all jurisdictions that have committed to the Statement will be able to participate.
  • MLC will be developed and is expected to be open for signature in the year 2022, with Amount A expected to come into effect in the year 2023.
  • IF members may need to make changes to domestic law to implement the new taxing rights over Amount A. To facilitate consistency in the approach taken by jurisdictions and to support domestic implementation consistent with the agreed timelines and their domestic legislative procedures, the IF has mandated the TFDE to develop model rules for domestic legislation by early 2022 to give effect to Amount A.
  • The tax compliance will be streamlined allowing in-scope MNEs to manage the process through a single entity.

 

Unilateral Measures:

  • The MLC will require all parties to remove all digital service tax (DST) and other similar taxes (eg: Equalisation levy from India perspective) with respect to all companies and to commit not to introduce such measures in the future.
  • No newly enacted DST or other relevant similar measures will be imposed on any company from 8 October 2021 and until earlier than 31 December 2023 or coming into force of the MLC.

 

Pillar Two

 

Introduction:

 

  • Pillar Two consists of Global anti-Base Erosion Rules (GloBE) to ensure large MNEs pay a minimum level of tax thereby removing the tax arbitrage benefit which arises by artificially shifting the base from high tax jurisdiction to low tax jurisdiction with no economic substance.
  • Pillar Two is a mix of several rules, viz. (i) Income Inclusion Rule (IIR); (ii) Undertaxed Payment Rule (UTPR); and (iii) Subject to Tax Rule (STTR).
  • IIR imposes a top-up tax on parent entity in respect of low taxed income of a constituent entity
  • UTPR denies deductions or requires an equivalent adjustment to the extent low tax income of a constituent entity is not subject to tax under an IIR.
  • STTR is a treaty-based rule which allows source jurisdiction to impose limited source taxation on certain related-party payments subject to tax below a minimum rate. The STTR will be creditable as a covered tax under the GloBE rules.
  • There would be a 10-year transition period for exclusion of a certain percentage of the income of intangibles and payroll which will be reduced on year on year basis
  • GloBE provides de minimis exclusion where the MNE has revenue of less than Euro 10 Million and profit of less than Euro 1 Million and also provides exclusion of income from international shipping.

 

Calculation Methodology:

 

  • Pillar Two introduces a minimum effective tax rate (ETR) of 15% on companies for the purpose of IIR and UTPR and would apply to MNEs reporting a global turnover above Euro 750 Million under country-by-country report.
  • The IIR allocates top-up tax based on a top-down approach, subject to a split-ownership rule for shareholdings below 80%. The UTPR allocates top-up tax from low-tax constituent entities, including those located in the Ultimate Parent Entities (UPE) jurisdiction. However, MNEs that have a maximum of EUR 50 million tangible assets abroad and that operate in no more than 5 other jurisdictions, would be excluded from the UTPR GloBE rules in the initial phase of their international activity.
  • IF members recognize that STTR is an integral part of Pillar Two for developing countries and applies to payments like interest, royalties, and a defined set of other payments. The minimum rate for STTR will be 9%, however, the tax rights will be limited to the difference between the minimum rate and tax rate on payment.
  • GloBE rules would not be applicable to Government entities, international organizations, non-profit organizations, pension funds or investment funds that are UPE of an MNE Group or any holding vehicle used by such entities, organizations, or funds.

 

Implementation:

  • Model rules to give effect to the GloBE rules are expected to be developed by the end of November 2021. These model rules will define the scope and set out the mechanics of the GloBE rules. They will include the rules for determining the ETR on a jurisdictional basis and the relevant exclusions, such as the formulaic substance-based carve-out.
  • An implementation framework that facilitates the coordinated implementation of the GloBE rules is proposed to be developed by the end of 2022. This implementation framework will cover agreed administrative procedures (e.g. detailed filing obligations, multilateral review processes) and safe-harbors to facilitate both compliance by MNEs and administration by tax authorities.
  • Pillar Two is proposed to be effective in the year 2023, with the UTPR coming into effect in the year 2024.

 

FM Comments :

 

With the introduction of the OECD/G20 inclusive framework on BEPS, OECD expects revenues of developing countries to go up by 1.5-2% and increase in overall reallocation of profits to developing countries of about USD 125 Billion. India, being a huge market to large MNEs, has always endorsed this global tax deal. However, with the introduction of this framework, India will have to abolish all unilateral measures, such as equalization levy tax and Significant Economic Presence (digital permanent establishment) provisions. MNEs will also have to re-visit their structure to ring-fence their tax positions based on the revised digital tax norms.  This Statement lays down a road map for a robust international tax framework w.r.t taxing of the digital economy,  not restricted to online digital transactions.

References

[1] Calculated, using an “averaging mechanism”, details of which are awaited.

Image Credits: Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

With the introduction of the OECD/G20 inclusive framework on BEPS, OECD expects revenues of developing countries to go up by 1.5-2% and increase in overall reallocation of profits to developing countries of about USD 125 Billion. India, being a huge market to large MNEs, has always endorsed this global tax deal.

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The Other Face of Digitalization: Changes to Tax Laws and More

Very often, speeches and articles begin by alluding to an environment of significant change, that brings in its wake, opportunities as well as higher levels of uncertainty. The wave of digitalization triggered by the emergence of various technologies is often cited as a prime example of this change. Digitalization has undoubtedly proved its worth in the past 18 months. Enabling remote working for millions of employees in various industries, enhancing the convenience of online banking, creation of new mobile payment options, virtual video/audio conferences are all examples of how digitalization has transformed the global society.

But there is a flip side to this too. Big Tech companies are growing rapidly, not just in terms of influence but also their financial muscle. To put it in perspective, the combined market capitalization of the top five Big Tech companies- i.e., Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent), Amazon and Facebook was around US$9 Trillion as of 1 October 2021[1]. By comparison, the market cap of India’s top five companies was around US$750 Billion.

Tax laws need to keep up with the “digital economy”

The pandemic has severely dented government revenues worldwide, while expenses have ballooned. This has led to spiraling fiscal deficits, that have their own consequences. Given that most corporate tax regimes worldwide evolved keeping conventional businesses in mind, and that digital economy businesses are very different in nature, a new corporate tax playbook is clearly needed.

Given its large number of digitally-savvy consumers, a country like India is often one of the top three markets for digital economy companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, etc. But the nature of their business is such that they can carry out business in India (or any other jurisdiction) without having a significant place of business in that jurisdiction. So while countries like India contributed to revenues, low local operating costs meant higher profits. But this did not translate into higher taxes for India because MNCs registered companies in countries with lower tax rates and assigned IPR to these companies. The subsidiary operating in India would then pay a royalty to this overseas company. This is not illegal under the letter of existing tax laws, but it does lead to low tax revenues.

The Tax Justice Network estimates that India loses US$10.1 Billion annually due to abuse of tax laws; the US is believed to lose five times that amount (US$49.2 Billion). It is interesting that the same study identifies the Netherlands, the Cayman Islands, China, Hong Kong and the UK as the largest enablers of tax abuse. (source: “How global Tax Rules may reshape India”, The Mint, 23 September 2021).  

Change is already in the air

India was, in fact, a pioneer of sorts, when it introduced the equalization levy (a sort of digital service tax) in 2016 to bring some of the revenues of these digital companies into the tax net. Many other countries followed suit. Not surprisingly, there are now more concerted efforts to plug loopholes that Big Tech in particular is able to exploit to avoid tax in jurisdictions with higher tax rates. A major step to address this situation was announced in July 2021 by the OECD and G20. The move envisions a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% worldwide as well as a new framework for allocating more rights to tax digital economy companies to countries housing digital consumers- i.e., ensure fairer taxation of businesses in those jurisdictions where they earn profits.

Stop press!

Talk about timing! Just as I thought I had finished writing this blog, I saw the news that the OECD has finalized the framework for this major international tax reform. A new global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% has been set and will apply to companies whose revenues exceed 750 million Euros. Additionally, MNCs with global sales above 20 billion Euros and profitability above 10% will also be covered by the new rules. Model rules are expected to be formulated in 2022 and the new regime is to take effect in 2023.[2]

Including India 136 countries (that together account for 90% of global GDP) have backed this framework. Once such a regime comes into effect, individual countries will be required to withdraw any digital taxes they levy- e.g., India’s equalization levy.

While this kind of thinking will have a far-reaching impact on digital businesses and the global economy, new tax laws are not the only drivers of major change. If the recent testimony to the US Senate by whistleblower Ms. Frances Haugen is any indication, Facebook and other companies may soon face tougher laws around advertising and targeting specific segments of users. And given Google’s dominant position in the search business, competition laws too will inevitably get tougher. And as seen by India’s tough stand on Mastercard, data localization requirements too will become increasingly stringent. And finally, of course, data privacy laws too will evolve. The popular saying “May you live in interesting times” (incidentally, there’s no credible evidence that this was indeed a Chinese curse, as is often claimed) seems to have had the current period in mind. Even if it didn’t, we do live in interesting times- that’s for sure.

I wish you all a Happy Navratri/Durga Puja.

  1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1181188/sandp500-largest-companies-market-cap/
  2. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/oecd-deal-mncs-will-be-subject-to-a-minimum-tax-of-15-from-2023/articleshow/86876192.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Photo by fabio on Unsplash

The pandemic has severely dented government revenues worldwide, while expenses have ballooned. This has led to spiraling fiscal deficits, that have their own consequences. Given that most corporate tax regimes worldwide evolved keeping conventional businesses in mind, and that digital economy businesses are very different in nature, a new corporate tax playbook is clearly needed.

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