Development Aid For Shareholders?

With Brexit looming closer on the horizon, the measures being taken by European countries to attract multinationals and international entrepreneurs who could potentially leave the United Kingdom increase. One of these measures could be to lower the so-called dividend withholding tax (DWT). Companies can distribute some of their profits as dividends to their shareholders. These Dividends are subject to tax in most European countries. Interestingly, this type of corporate tax does not exist in the United Kingdom. The government in the Netherlands wants to abolish this tax, currently at a rate of 15 percent, altogether in an attempt to improve the Dutch business climate. This topic, however, has already led to several government crises in the country as some find that the government is influenced too much by Dutch multinationals Unilever and Royal Dutch Shell on this matter (described in Dutch politics as "development aid for British and American shareholders").