EU Mulls Introducing 'Exit Tax' on Assets of Sanctioned Individuals: Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union is looking into the possibility of introducing an "exit tax" on the assets or capital gains of sanctioned individuals in case they transfer their money outside the bloc, American news outlet reported on Monday, citing an internal document of the European Commission.

According to the document, Brussels is mulling "a harmonised exit tax applicable to natural persons/individuals subject to sanctions who are tax resident in a third country that would apply when assets or capital gains of such persons are transferred [outbound payments] from any EU Member State to the third country of tax residence of the natural person covered by sanctions decisions."

The commission emphasized that the tax should be general and "would not target particular countries." At the same time, it can be activated for "one or more third countries, at any time, based on a set of clear objective criteria," the report said.

According to the publication, EU countries will be responsible for the execution of this initiative, while the commission will propose a legal act that will seek to establish conditions for triggering the "exit tax."

The tax will be based on Article 115 of the EU treaty, the report said.

Meanwhile, the European Commission considers the "exit tax as only one of the options that will "ensure funding of the reconstruction of Ukraine." The other measures include transferring money from seized Russian assets to the EU for reassignment to Ukraine, a system of voluntary contributions by EU countries and a mandatory transfer system from member states to the EU budget through a new levy, according to the report.

Western countries and their allies have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow over its special operation in Ukraine. The EU said in June it had "immobilized" about $300 billion worth of Russian central bank assets. European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said in July that a total of $13.8 billion worth of assets belonging to sanctioned Russian individuals and entities had been frozen since the military operation began.