The ability of a nation state to set it's own taxation regime is part of the push and pull compromises that any government should be free to take according to their own priorities. Harmonisation of Corporation Tax across the EU is a bit like the Euro, it only makes sense if it is part of a federal system that includes a real transfer of wealth from the richer nations to the poorer nations, the Germans and French don't seem to have any enthusiasm for that and we are heading for the door. Corporations paying their fair share to reflect the amount of business that is done in any particular country should be high on any government's list of priorities. If they don't like it they can leave, it really should be as simple as that and if it causes some short term pain so be it.
The reason large retail companies like to set up in out of town retail parks is because they very often don't pay any business rates on them either. If you look at the link I posted earlier you will probably find your local shopping centre is also owned offshore so all the rents paid to them leave the country too.
Some of these retail companies only make stuff so that they can get their hands on our money. That's completely immoral, that is. Yes it is.
Government deals to attract individual companies should not be allowed, it should be a level playing field where government sets the rules for all and then enforces those rules. Big business has the upper hand and they exploit it ruthlessly. Time for a change I think and hopefully I know just the woman for the job.
By "poorer nations" do you mean those nations which have suffered the effects of historically low levels of capital investment? And by "real transfer of wealth" do you mean capital investment in productive capacity, efficiency improvements, and modern infrastructure? If so, the Western states have shown a great deal of enthusiasm for this process over recent decades, and it has been highly successful. Perhaps you would prefer to have seen the "poorer nations" continue to have low productivity, inefficiency, and antiquated infrastructure ? Returning to taxes, only VAT has been (partly) harmonised across the EU. Other taxes are mainly varied locally and could well remain so indefinitely. Corporation Tax is a special case because of the unique ease with which it can be eluded by international corporations.
Do you mean like the closure of the Ford Transit factory in Southampton and it's movement to Turkey with the help of EU money ?
It is, but the UK has a central government with control over it's fiscal policy, or it did until Tony Blair offered devolved government in Scotland to shore up the Labour party, and look where that ended.
Shutting factories and re-opening somewhere else with a cheaper workforce is a direct and all too common result of globalisation. I find it hard to believe that the EU would spend money moving a factory outside of the EU. Why would they do that?? That's shooting themselves in the knee, never mind the foot...
And the free trade agreement I mentioned earlier between Turkey and Europe without free movement of people
The Jaguar engine factory in Wolverhampton has been built with big financial backing from the UK government. All governments and big business collude with each other.
