“It’s not very smart!” – this was how Tom Rose, the newly appointed US ambassador to Poland, described Poland’s introduction of a digital tax. Rose emphasized that any attempt to impose additional costs on American corporations would trigger a response from President Donald Trump’s administration.
“It’s not very smart! A self-destructive tax that will only harm Poland and its relationship with the United States. President Trump will retaliate, as he should. Repeal the tax to avoid the consequences!” Rose wrote on platform X.
The incoming US ambassador was responding to a statement by the Polish Left, announcing the introduction of a digital tax on tech giants, as proposed by Poland’s Minister of Digitalization, Krzysztof Gawkowski.
EU Tightens the Screws
In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump, his cabinet members, and Rose himself have repeatedly pointed to European digital taxes, regulations, and penalties aimed at American corporations as examples of unfair treatment by the European Union. Trump and his commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, have warned that such trade barriers, including VAT, will be factored into tariff considerations intended to level the playing field in international trade.
The digital tax has been actively promoted by European Union officials. According to EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, the European market accounts for as much as 40% of some American tech giants’ revenues.
Gawkowski Defends the Initiative
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitalization Krzysztof Gawkowski announced plans for the digital tax on Monday in an interview with PAP. According to Gawkowski, a model for taxing revenues or profits of big tech companies will be presented within the next few months. He claims that revenues from the new tax would support the development of companies, startups in the digital-tech sector, and media.