Fight Against Tax Competition in the EU and the Effects of Tax Policies Implemented in the EU During the 2008 Global Financial Crisis on Tax Competition

Globalized economy has brought about many economic and political problems in both national and international fields. One of the most significant results of globalization is that it has removed boundaries and reduced time and space related costs preventing international capital from moving towards areas where it can increase its value. This change, which is positive considering revaluation and profit increase in global capital, has caused normlessness and led to a process blocking international competition, which may most of the time result in national and international economic crises. Countries have, thus, started to introduce tax policies that would attract global capital. This problem has conceptually been handled in fiscal literature as international tax competition. Recently its harmful aspects have also been included in the discussions. In this context, national authorities as well as international institutions such as European Union and OECD have been working on projects to prevent harmful tax competition. Yet, globalization and financialization of economy have made countries more dependent on international capital. It is conflicting that countries are making new regulations to prevent harmful tax competitions while they are also creating an environment where they can promote global capital to avoid possible financial crises. This conflict was clearly observed in European Union during the 2008 global crisis. This study reveals the conflict between tax policies applied by EU to overcome the 2008 global financial crisis and the works intended for preventing harmful tax competition in EU.