Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

The article argues that Australia should increase its GST rate and broaden the tax base to reduce reliance on income tax, following the OECD’s latest health check recommendation.

The Finance (No. 2) Bill 2024‑26 has been amended in Committee and will return to the House of Commons for further stages. Scotland will introduce a new Air Departure Tax on 1 April 2027, replacing APD, with a consultation closing 26 March 2026. Deloitte’s Advance Tax Certainty service will become operational from July 2026, while the OECD Global Forum on VAT met in January 2026 to discuss digital economy and near real‑time data collection.

A draft European Parliament report dated Feb. 4 calls for changes to the VAT exemption for the EU’s financial sector, arguing it is misaligned with today’s economic and technological realities. The report proposes coordinated EU‑wide taxation where feasible and minimum standards for temporary windfall taxation to align exceptional profits with long‑term public investment priorities. It was authored by German MEP Matthias Ecke.

The French Administrative Court of Appeal of Paris issued Decision No. 25PA00785 on Feb. 4, 2026, clarifying that the ordinary law procedure for VAT refunds for taxable persons outside the EU does not apply when the taxpayer did not carry out transactions during the period. The UK company’s claim for an import VAT credit was partially denied by the Court of Montreuil and upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Belgium’s federal parliament has approved a broad VAT reform bill (No. 56/1205) that introduces significant changes to invoicing, deduction adjustments, refund procedures and compliance enforcement. Key measures include extended VAT adjustment periods, a substitute return mechanism for late filings, clarified VAT ID reporting for non‑Belgian customers, mandatory e‑invoicing for government contracts and a three‑month rule for VAT refunds.

Ireland’s Revenue has confirmed a phased launch of mandatory B2B e‑invoicing and e‑reporting, starting with large corporations in November 2028 and expanding to all taxpayers by November 2029. The EU‑wide ViDA e‑invoicing system for intra‑community transactions will come into force in July 2030. The initiative follows a public consultation that ran from 13 October 2023 to 31 January 2024.

The Czech Customs Administration clarified on Feb. 6 that individuals from non‑EU countries can claim VAT refunds on goods purchased in the Czech Republic if they prove residence abroad and are not conducting business locally. Refunds are excluded for tobacco, alcohol, food, fuel and other specified goods, and sellers must provide two copies of the sales document with required notations.

On 27 January 2026 the Swedish Tax Court issued Advance Notice No. 62‑25/I, clarifying the VAT treatment of mobile housing modules leased to municipalities and private owners for student housing and nursing homes. The court held that leasing these modules does not constitute leasing real estate for VAT purposes, affecting input‑VAT deduction rights. The modules are assembled on site, mounted on foundations, equipped with utility ducts, and subject to time‑limited building permits.

The VAT Consultant highlights the growing need for expert tax advisory in the UAE as stricter VAT registration rules and a new corporate tax regime take effect. New penalty regimes effective 14 April 2026 and a surge in Federal Tax Authority audit activity underscore the importance of proactive compliance. The firm offers assessment, strategic planning, and ongoing monitoring to help businesses navigate these changes.

China's Ministry of Finance has announced that goods returned from e‑commerce exports will be exempt from import duties, import VAT and consumption tax from 1 January to 31 December 2027. The move aims to support the growth of cross‑border e‑commerce. The exemption applies to goods returned via e‑commerce platforms.

Sweden has launched a public inquiry into mandatory e-invoicing and digital VAT reporting, aligning with the EU’s ViDA framework. The inquiry will be completed by 30 November 2027 and will assess extending e-invoicing to domestic transactions. EU ViDA requires cross‑border B2B e‑invoicing with reporting obligations starting 1 July 2030.

The article examines Ghana’s new Value Added Tax Act 2025 (Act 1151) and its implications for capital market services, arguing that the tax may deter investment rather than encourage it. It discusses how the law could affect investor confidence and offers recommendations for regulators and stakeholders to balance tax policy with market development.

The article argues that fully autonomous AI agents will not replace tax professionals in indirect tax due to reliability constraints and the need for structured workflows. It emphasizes that progress comes from workflow design rather than model capability, and that AI agents should be used as supervised assistants to coordinate multi‑step processes. The future will see narrow, supervised agents complementing deterministic tax engines rather than replacing them.

Italy has raised the Intrastat acquisitions reporting threshold from €350,000 to €2 million for VAT‑registered businesses, effective 25 February 2026 for transactions in January 2026. The change, announced in Act No. 84415, keeps the INTRA‑2 bis form unchanged and is enabled by the country’s e‑invoicing platform and EU data‑exchange mechanisms.

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has urged the Indian government to reassess the 5% GST applied to ride‑hailing services, arguing it harms driver income and consumer affordability. IAMAI calls for exemptions for SaaS‑based mobility services and highlights confusion from contradictory state rulings. The association seeks dialogue with the GST Council and Finance Ministry to create a more sustainable framework for the sector.

India’s GST law imposes a 5% tax on ride‑hailing services, but the SaaS model used by aggregators creates ambiguity under Section 9(5) of the CGST Act. IAMAI has urged a review of the tax’s applicability, while Karnataka has exempted subscription‑based platforms such as Namma Yatri. The dispute raises uncertainty for aggregators, potentially leading to unexpected liabilities and affecting driver earnings and consumer affordability.

Chile’s Internal Revenue Service (SII) will shift VAT collection from non‑resident sellers to Chilean financial institutions starting 1 June 2026, imposing a 19 % withholding rate on eligible transactions. The first list of non‑compliant digital VAT taxpayers will be published 15 June 2026, with financial institutions required to file monthly Form 29 and a semiannual report by the last business day of February 2027.

South Africa’s 2026 Budget will focus on whether VAT can keep pace with a digitised economy rather than on rate hikes. A proposed two‑percentage‑point increase was tabled and rejected in 2025, and the Finance Minister confirmed that VAT rate increases for 2025/26 and 2026/27 have been dropped. The Treasury is examining how digital services supplied by foreign providers are taxed and whether the current framework captures modern consumption.

The Uruguayan General Directorate of Taxation issued Consultation No. 6763 on Feb. 4, clarifying that bulldozers are not exempt from VAT under Resolution No. 305/979. The guidance confirms that bulldozers, classified as tractors, are not considered agricultural machinery for VAT exemption purposes, even when used exclusively in forestry activities.

Cameroon’s 2026 Finance Law introduces a real‑time VAT e‑invoicing regime that will require all taxpayers to use approved electronic invoicing solutions. The new mandate builds on the 2024 Finance Law’s electronic tracking requirements for selected sectors and aims to shift tax control from post‑filing audit to transaction‑level visibility.