Bild quoted a confidential finance ministry document, reported that the “demonisation” of the big digital companies “was “not productive” and that Scholz had given up on the tax plans for big internet companies.

To reach this conclusion does rather sound like someone has been “lobbied” particularly as German companies are forced to pay tax and are getting a little tetchy that US companies appear to be having a laugh.

A finance ministry spokesman said that no decision has been made yet by the minister or the ministry and the debate is still going on among the finance ministers of Europe and G7/G20 countries.

“The Federal Government still aims to ensure a fair taxation of internet companies”, the spokesman added.