Now, Czech govt pushing ahead with tax on Google

Prague: The Czech government is pushing ahead with a plan to impose one of the highest taxes on global Internet companies, brushing aside the threat of US retaliation that prompted France to delay a similar measure.

Lawmakers in Prague have been debating a Bill that would slap a 7% levy on the digital revenue of large online companies such as Google or Facebook. Foreign minister Tomas Petricek met US ambassador Stephen King after the envoy wrote an opinion piece for a newspaper saying that his country might respond with proportional countermeasures against the Czech Republic.

"I understand that the United States perceives this negatively," Petricek said on public television on Thursday. "On the other hand, we're trying to explain that this step is only temporary until an international solution is found."