Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

The article explains that real‑time tax compliance involves continuous exchange and validation of transaction data with tax authorities, embedding tax processes into operational workflows. It identifies three main barriers—fragmented system landscapes, data that is not real‑time ready, and legacy operating models—and argues that local, country‑by‑country solutions will not scale. The author advocates for a unified data platform and a shift to viewing tax as part of digital infrastructure.

New Zealand’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) is highlighted as a model consumption tax, featuring a single 15% rate, minimal exemptions, and a broad base that yields a stable revenue stream. The system’s simplicity reduces compliance burdens and has been praised for its efficiency and neutrality. Key innovations include zero‑rating business‑to‑business financial services and excluding most crypto assets from GST.

Germany's e‑invoicing mandate requires all businesses to be able to receive electronic invoices from 1 January 2025, with issuance obligations kicking in 2027 for firms with prior‑year turnover above €800,000 and 2028 for all others. The guidance clarifies that only structured EN 16931 formats (XRechnung or ZUGFeRD) qualify as e‑invoices, and that receipt obligations are voluntary in 2026. It also outlines compliance requirements such as GoBD‑compliant archiving and retention periods.

Ireland is rolling out a domestic eInvoicing regime, beginning with large corporates in November 2028 and expanding to all VAT‑registered businesses by July 2030. The initiative aligns with the EU’s ViDA framework and uses the EN 16931 standard for structured invoices, aiming to improve real‑time reporting and fraud prevention.

The Philippine government has issued a VAT regulation exempting indigenous natural gas and related power generation activities. The exemption applies to indigenous natural gas, aggregated gas attributable to it, electricity generated from it, and ancillary services, subject to endorsement from the Department of Energy and certification of usage. The measure takes effect 15 days after publication, with specific limitations and permit requirements.

Zambia has introduced a temporary 0% VAT rate on petrol and diesel imports to curb rising fuel costs and stabilize inflation. The zero‑rating will apply from April to June 2026, allowing suppliers to recover input VAT while reducing end‑user prices. The measure is set to be reviewed after the three‑month period.

Spain's Tax Agency has enacted Royal Decree 238/2026, mandating electronic invoicing for businesses and professionals. The decree takes effect 20 April 2026, with high‑volume firms (VAT turnover > €8 million) required to comply 12 months after the ministerial order, and others 24 months later. A free application will be provided, and the public e‑invoicing platform must be available at least two months before the first effective application.

The article explains how Brazil’s new nationwide consumption tax, the IBS, replaces state and municipal taxes, marking a significant shift in governance and operational logic. It highlights the implications for municipalities and the broader tax system, underscoring the paradigm shift in Brazil’s indirect tax regime.

Poland announced a fuel price cap and a sharp VAT cut on fuels to ease inflation amid rising global oil prices. Starting 31 March 2026, 95‑octane petrol will be capped at 6.16 PLN per liter, diesel at 7.60 PLN, and 98 petrol at 6.76 PLN, while the VAT rate on fuels drops from 23% to 8%. Retailers exceeding the cap face fines up to 1 million PLN, and the measures are estimated to cost the government 1.6 billion PLN per month.

Vito Tanzi, former IMF Fiscal Affairs Director, has urged India to replace its multi‑rate GST slabs with a single uniform rate for all domestic consumption and to redistribute the entire revenue equally to every citizen via per‑capita digital transfers linked to Aadhaar accounts. The proposal was presented at an international conference on the socio‑economic impacts of GST organised by the Centre for Development Studies.

Ukraine’s Cabinet approved a package of tax bills that introduce a 5% personal income tax for digital‑platform users, VAT on international shipments over €150, and extend the military tax for three years after martial law ends. The measures also implement DAC7 information exchange and aim to align Ukrainian law with EU and OECD norms.

The EU VAT reforms tracker outlines a comprehensive schedule of upcoming legislative and compliance changes across the EU, including new VAT registration thresholds, e-invoicing requirements, import VAT liabilities, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Key dates range from 2025 to 2035, covering digital services, e-commerce, and cross‑border trade. The tracker serves as a reference for businesses to anticipate and adapt to evolving EU VAT rules.

The blog explains that ISO 27001 certification is becoming a mandatory requirement for e‑invoicing platforms in several jurisdictions, notably France, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand. It outlines the key dates, such as France’s September 2026 deadline and the October 2025 completion of the ISO 27001:2022 transition, and details the certification’s three‑year validity and surveillance audit schedule.

The article outlines five frequent validation failures for Luxembourg’s FAIA files, including missing version identifiers, incorrect VAT codes, absent master data references, improper decimal precision, and wrong date formats. It provides practical steps to correct each issue and a checklist to ensure compliance before submission.

Vietnam has temporarily set VAT on gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel to 0% from 26 March to 15 April 2026, exempting businesses from VAT declaration and payment while allowing input VAT recovery. The measure also waives environmental protection tax and zeroes special consumption tax on gasoline, expected to cut state revenue by about 7.2 trillion VND per month.

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers will submit three separate tax bills to the Verkhovna Rada in early April 2026, including a new tax on the OLX platform, a 5% increase in the military levy, and the abolition of parcel benefits. No bill to introduce VAT for individual entrepreneurs will be presented, as the government seeks to have the IMF remove that requirement. The parliament previously failed to adopt the OLX tax on 10 March 2026.

A London court ruled that a technical college receiving free courses funded by the UK government must treat the funding as consideration for its taxable supply of services, making it subject to VAT that can be recovered from HMRC. The decision clarifies the tax treatment of government funding for educational services. The ruling was issued on March 27, 2026.

The United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters has announced a practical VAT agenda through 2028, establishing a Subcommittee on Indirect Taxes to produce guidance on execution gaps. The workplan covers five priority areas—digital economy VAT, fraud prevention and SME compliance, cross‑border dispute resolution, financial services/FinTech/crypto, and VAT regressivity—with draft outputs expected by October 2028. The initiative signals a global convergence in VAT thinking and increased scrutiny for tax authorities and businesses.

Denmark is tightening its digital bookkeeping and e‑invoicing framework, moving from encouragement to default digital behaviour. From July 2026, e‑invoicing will be the default output, and businesses on registered systems will be automatically enrolled in the NemHandel network unless they opt out. The roadmap also sets a 2028 start for Peppol PINT migration, full transition by 2029, and SAF‑T 2.0 will require transaction‑level detail from 2027.

Kenyan KPMG commentary analyzes the Tax Appeals Tribunal decision that clarified the VAT treatment of insurance intermediaries. The Tribunal ruled that while insurance brokerage services remain exempt, asset management services are taxable at the standard 16% rate. The decision also highlights the High Court's 2021 ruling restoring the exemption and the appellant's unsuccessful deregistration attempt.