Germany Debates Digital Tax: No Higher Prices, Please

So, there's this whole thing going on in Germany about taxing big online companies, like Google and Facebook. The new digital ministry folks just said that if they do put a tax on these platforms, it needs to be worked out with other countries, you know, like a global thing.

And here's the kicker, they said the tax shouldn't make things more expensive for us regular folks who use these platforms. Pretty important, right?

Now, the Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, had this interview the other day where he said they're actually looking into a tax, maybe around 10%. He didn't say if that's on how much money they make or their profit, though. So, still a bit fuzzy there.

The parties running Germany did say earlier this year they'd think about a digital services tax, but it wasn't really on their top priority list. And officials had already said Weimer's idea wasn't, like, officially approved by the government yet.

A spokesperson for the digital ministry explained that for a tax like this to work, it has to be aimed right, agreed on internationally, and fit with EU rules. They also said any money made should help Germany be good at new tech stuff, and, again, not make things more expensive for us users.

This all comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz might head to Washington soon to meet President Trump. No official announcement yet, though. Remember how Trump used to say he wouldn't let other countries take America's tax money?

And the tech industry isn't super happy about this. Bitkom, which is a group for tech companies, warned that this tax could mean higher prices for businesses, government services, and us consumers. Their president, Ralf Wintergerst, said it would slow down Germany getting more digital, which is something they really need to speed up. He thinks we need fewer financial burdens on digital stuff, not more. Makes you wonder, huh?