The United States has initiated proceedings against Austria’s digital tax, charging that it is discriminatory against large US corporations. The suit comes with threats against Austria of punitive tariffs. Austria introduced a digital tax on January 1 through an increased advertising tax of five percent, targeting large international digital groups such as Google. For months, US representatives have been protesting the move and have been concerned about moves by other countries to follow suit. France put its digital tax on hold until the end of 2020 due to pressure from the United States.