New Directives of the Council on VAT01/03/08 / cata_tax-news
In February 2008, two new directives of the Council on VAT were approved. Council Directive 2008/8/EC fundamentally changes existing rules for determining the place of performance for services, i.e. determining EU member states for application of VAT. Most new rules shall be introduced from January 2010, and the remaining ones shall be introduced gradually up to 2015.
The background change is a new basic rule pursuant to which services shall be taxed at the place of actual consumption of service instead of the current rule, pursuant to which the taxation is performed at the place of the provider’s registered office. The new general rule will also contain many exemptions.
Effective 1 January 2010, Council Directive 2008/9/EC sets forth new implementation rules for refunding VAT to persons obliged to pay VAT established in another EU member state. Changes consist in particular of filing and settlement of applications by e-mail, which should simplify and accelerate the procedure of refunding VAT.