Value added tax.
The customary request at the end of a meal for the “Check Please” might work in a restaurant – if they ever open again – but, in the VAT world, simply asking for the “check” won’t achieve the compliance goal. First and foremost, the customer has to request an invoice, not a check, and that…
Few events in the last decade have contributed as much to the growth of the digital economy as Covid-19. The pandemic forced entire populations to go into lockdown, working from home became the norm and outdoor activities were limited to a bare minimum out of fear of infection. All these factors have contributed to a…
State of affairs Over the last two decades, eminent scholars and commentators have been highlighting the numerous issues arising from the current regime governing insurance and financial services as laid down in Article 135, 1, (a)-(g) of the Directive 2006/112/EC (“VAT directive“). From the lack of competitiveness of EU financial services businesses versus US counterparts…
Marcos Álvarez Suso (Auditing Department of the Spanish Tax Authorities) The digital economy in the 21st century New business models associated to the so-called digital economy are blossoming in all type of economic activities all over the globe. Among many other examples of increasingly digitalized business we can find online goods sellers, streaming television services, remote…
The classification of transactions comprising several elements, features, and acts[1] is a complicated and prominent issue in the EU’s common system of VAT. It is also a popular topic for discussion and analysis which is often explored in the literature. The purpose of this post is to contribute to that discussion by presenting certain perspectives…
Missing Trader Fraud (“MTF”) is a problem that has plagued tax authorities around the world. It is a form of fraud by which syndicates make use of Value Added Tax (“VAT”) or Goods and Services Tax (“GST”) systems to defraud tax authorities. VAT/GST systems are designed to ensure that in most cases, only the final…
According to l’Echo of July 31st 2020, relying on information published in the magazine Paperjam, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has not yet paid Belgium 90 million Euros that had to be transferred before the end of March 2020. This sum is due pursuant to a clearing procedure of VAT and excises collected by the…
Last month, the second edition of the book ‘Fundamentals of EU VAT Law‘ was published.[1] It was written by Herman van Kesteren, Simon Cornielje, Frank Nellen and me. The second edition received a major update and contains – among other things – new key CJEU case law and new EU VAT legislation (such as the…
Since the promulgation of its 1988 Constitution, Brazil has been trying to implement a national VAT. Over the past 30 years, the opposing interests of States and the Federal Government have caused at least three broad tax-reform proposals to fail in Congress. Moreover, several interest groups have also been opposed to changes. Such conflicts of…
One function of the law is to regulate human behaviour. An instrument to reach this goal is to impose sanctions for undesirable behaviour on persons who are responsible for inadmissible acts. It goes without saying that it should be commonly and clearly known at least: which occurrences are undesirable by the lawgiver; who is responsible…
In these unprecedented times of the Coronavirus pandemic, governments all around the world are striving to sustain their health systems while managing, as far as possible, the economic damages caused by the pandemic crisis. One of the most compelling economic objectives of every government during this crisis is to keep businesses in operation while preserving,…
Composite supplies are one of the most commonly debated issues under European VAT (EU VAT). Despite its unquestionable relevance as a topic, neither Directive 2006/112/EC (the VAT Directive) nor Council Implementing Regulation (EU) no. 282/2011 (the VAT Implementing Regulation) contain any settled rule providing a clear indication on how to deal with the issue of…
The importance of digitalization has been demonstrated especially at this time of the COVID-19 disease pandemic. State and local institutions, as well as entrepreneurs, were in fact able to maintain their legal obligations and rights only through digital applications. In addition, digital purchases and payments have stimulated the further development of digitalization. Countries around the…
International double taxation should be to European VAT harmonization what tropical temperatures should be to the polar regions: a challenge of the natural laws of the universe and, at the same time, a wound inflicted to a fragile ecosystem. And yet, last June, both phenomena were officially recognized by international independent bodies: temperatures of 38…
