The European Union’s Pillar 2 tax framework legislation applies to groups with a consolidated turnover of at least EUR 750 million, and is not limited to international groups. If a domestic group achieves the threshold of EUR 750 million in consolidated turnover, Pillar 2 applies to that group as well.
The idea stems from the belief that unfair tax competition and a “race to the bottom” must be prevented. For this reason, and as part of its broader “base erosion and profit shifting” project, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD proposed a scheme in 2021 to ensure that internationally operating groups paid an effective minimum tax rate of 15% on their profits. Following the OECD’s lead, the EU adopted this approach and embedded it in the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD), Directive 2022/2523, which EU member states are required to adopt into national law.