Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

A UK tribunal decision in 2024 may allow U.S. biopharma firms with UK operations to claim VAT refunds on prior NHS sales, potentially unlocking up to £2.5 billion. The ruling is under review by the Upper Tribunal, with a judgment expected within the next three to four months. Companies must notify HMRC and register protection claims now to preserve their right to recover VAT within a four‑year window.

Fintua’s blog post reviews Ireland’s upcoming e‑invoicing mandate under the EU’s Digital Reporting Requirements, outlining the phased implementation schedule and the planned adoption of Peppol. It highlights the 10‑day invoicing window, the 2030 compliance deadline, and the role of AI in ensuring data quality. The piece serves as a practical guide for Irish businesses preparing for the new digital VAT regime.

Malawi will extend VAT to non-resident digital services from 1 April 2026, requiring foreign providers to charge the standard 17.5% rate. The new regime, announced in the 2026/27 Budget Policy Statement, also doubles the VAT registration threshold to MWK 50 million and covers services such as streaming, online advertising, e‑learning and digital content platforms.

Norway will require all bookkeeping-obligated businesses to issue structured B2B e-invoices from 1 January 2027, with an exemption for entities with less than NOK 50,000 turnover. Digital bookkeeping will become mandatory from 1 January 2028, obliging firms to use accounting systems capable of electronic invoice processing. The tax authority will report on potential next steps, including B2C e-invoicing and e-receipts, before the end of 2026.

China’s new VAT Law took effect on 1 January 2026, prompting a series of administrative releases that align preferential regimes, customs treatment, and reporting obligations. The guidance tightens SME VAT incentives, extends cross‑border e‑commerce import VAT exemptions until 2027, and introduces new import VAT incentives for strategic sectors that run until 2030. Multinational groups should review compliance and documentation to meet the updated thresholds and reporting requirements.

Denmark is transitioning its NemHandel e‑invoicing system from the domestic OIOUBL format to the Peppol BIS standard, with full migration targeted for mid‑2029. The shift aligns with the 2030 VAT in the Digital Age reforms that mandate e‑invoicing for intra‑community transactions and supports the ViDA Digital Reporting Requirements. Businesses will need to adapt to a phased coexistence period before Peppol BIS becomes the dominant format.

The Xyrality case (C‑459/24) clarifies that e‑commerce platforms can be treated as suppliers for VAT purposes, meaning VAT is due on the full transaction amount, not just the platform fee. The ruling confirms that Article 28 creates a deemed supply chain when an intermediary acts in its own name but on behalf of the actual provider, and that Article 9a’s presumption cannot be rebutted if the platform authorises the charge, delivers the service, or sets the general terms. Platforms dominating the customer relationship must therefore reassess their VAT obligations.

The Bahamas government will exempt all unprepared food items from VAT effective 1 April 2026, giving consumers zero VAT at the point of sale. Merchants have a three‑month window to adjust their point‑of‑sale and accounting systems, and the exemption means importers and retailers cannot claim input credits. The move follows earlier VAT rate cuts and aims to reduce consumer costs and administrative complexity.

EU member states are pushing for a €2 customs handling fee on low‑value parcels (below €150) to take effect on 1 July 2026, ahead of the planned 1 November 2026 date. An interim €3 customs levy will also apply from 1 July 2026 until March 2028, while the €150 duty threshold is slated for removal under the 2028 customs reform. The fee could be reduced to €0.50 for importers registered with the Trust and Check Trader scheme.

VatCalc reports that Oman will enforce mandatory B2B and B2G e‑invoicing and e‑reporting via a Peppol 5‑corner model starting 1 Aug 2026. The rollout will be phased, with the first wave in August 2026 for the largest taxpayers, a second wave in February 2027, and a third wave in August 2027. The Oman Tax Authority became the official Peppol Authority in January 2026 and published updated FAQs on 8 Dec 2025.

Gabon will require electronic invoices as the sole basis for VAT deductions from July 2026, following the Finance Law 2026. A six‑month transition period allows businesses to use customs‑duty documentation in lieu of compliant e‑invoices. The law introduces standardized electronic invoices (FNE) and mandates that input VAT be shown separately on these documents.

The Supreme Court of India has admitted a petition by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) concerning more than Rs 2,500 crore in blocked compensation cess credits that became unusable after the implementation of GST 2.0. The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 25 2026 and is considering a transitional mechanism to allow these credits to be offset against other GST liabilities. The case could set a precedent for handling legacy tax credits during indirect tax reforms.

Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Office has released the ViDA implementation document outlining mandatory e‑invoicing and real‑time VAT reporting. The reform requires all taxable persons to exchange invoices in the EN 16931 format, prohibits email distribution, and introduces an AOR reporting obligation within five days. The five‑corner model will be used for transmission, with service providers optional.

The post discusses how SAP's VAT logic can fail due to governance and design issues rather than system bugs. It highlights that VAT determination often appears to work but may still be incorrect, and that KGT’s in‑SAP VAT data analysis uncovers these problems.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has extended the filing deadline for February 2026 Value Added Tax (VAT) returns to 29 March 2026. The extension was issued to address technical congestion and reduced processing speed in the E‑VAT system following public holidays. Taxpayers are now given additional time to submit their returns electronically.

The Norwegian Tax Administration issued Binding Advance Ruling No. 1/2026 on March 11, clarifying VAT invoicing timing rules for construction projects. The ruling addresses whether the contract sum can be invoiced to the developer upon delivery of the building and whether VAT can be deferred until that time. It applies to group companies and their parent and developer entities.

The European Court of Justice issued three rulings on 12 March 2026 that clarified VAT deduction rights across the EU. The decisions confirmed that Spain can maintain its entertainment expense restrictions under Article 176, that late invoices do not preclude deductions if claimed within the limitation period, and that technical failures in electronic refund transmission cannot cancel refund claims. These rulings reinforce that VAT rights cannot be undermined by excessive formalism or administrative shortcomings.

The Court of Justice of the European Union, in Case C‑515/24, confirmed that Spain’s limitation on input VAT deduction for entertainment expenses is compatible with EU law. The ruling clarifies that the exclusion was maintained under Article 176 of the VAT Directive because it existed at the time of Spain’s accession to the EU, thereby strengthening the Spanish legislature’s position while leaving room for future disputes over expense classification.

Italy has postponed its planned €2 customs handling fee for e‑commerce parcels from outside the EU until the EU-level fee takes effect on 1 July 2026. The fee would apply to parcels not exceeding €150 intrinsic value, covering both B2C and B2B shipments, and is expected to generate €123 million in 2026 and €245 million from 2027 onward. The EU will introduce an interim €3 levy from 1 July 2026 and a €2 levy from 1 November 2026, with plans to remove the €150 de‑minimis exemption in 2028.

Belize has legislated mandatory e-invoicing and e-receipts for B2B transactions, effective from 2027, as confirmed in the 2026/7 Budget. The country’s General Sales Tax (GST) remains at a 12.5% standard rate, with registration required for businesses exceeding BZD 75,000 in annual taxable supplies. Monthly GST returns are due by the 15th of the following month.