Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

BDO’s 2026 update lists a range of VAT and excise duty changes across 22 jurisdictions, including new GST regimes, rate adjustments, and registration threshold shifts. Key highlights include Bhutan’s 5% GST from 1 January 2026, Denmark’s 0% VAT on books, and Ghana’s VAT rate cut to 20% with a higher registration threshold. The article serves as a quick reference for tax professionals monitoring upcoming indirect tax reforms worldwide.

Austria will reduce the VAT on certain food items from 10% to 5% mid‑2026, a measure financed by a new tax on non‑recyclable plastics. The specific foodstuffs eligible for the discount are yet to be defined, and the competition authority will enforce the reduction and ensure retailers pass the benefit to consumers.

China’s new Value‑Added Tax Law and its Implementing Regulations entered force on 1 January 2026, bringing significant changes to taxable transaction definitions, VAT rates, and taxpayer status thresholds. The law retains the 13 %, 9 %, and 6 % rates, introduces a 3 % levying rate for the simplified tax method, and adjusts the real‑estate VAT rate for individuals to 3 %. Enterprises exceeding RMB 5 million in annual taxable sales must switch to the general taxation method, and the definition of taxable services and intangible assets now focuses on consumption within China or domestic sellers.

Complementary Law No. 227/2026, published on 13 January 2026, formally establishes the Management Committee of the Goods and Services Tax (CGIBS) and sets out governance, litigation, and revenue distribution rules for Brazil’s new IBS tax. The law does not impose immediate obligations on taxpayers but signals a shift to a centralized, standardized administration that will affect audits, enforcement, and data cross‑checking in the future.

Guernsey officials discuss that any future increase to the proposed 5% GST would require a two‑thirds super majority under the island’s Reform Law. The introductory rate would be 5% if retail food sales are included, or 6% otherwise, and a 6% rate would be needed to raise about £50 million net. The proposal aims to keep the tax broad and simple to limit future rate hikes.

An Advocate General for the European Court of Justice has opined that transfer price adjustments made by Stellantis Portugal to dealership sales are not subject to VAT, as they are considered alien to VAT law. The opinion, issued Thursday, is not binding on the court, and the ECJ decision remains unscheduled. The case centers on Stellantis's retroactive price adjustments to ensure a basic profit margin for local dealerships.

The Austrian government will cut the VAT rate on a basket of essential food items from 10% to 5% starting 1 July 2026, a move aimed at easing inflationary pressures. The measure was confirmed on 14 January 2026 and will be counter‑financed by fees on imported parcels from third‑country suppliers such as China.

The UAE Peppol Testbed has been upgraded to support service providers preparing for accreditation. Two new inbound test cases – invalid PINT AE invoices due to Schematron and syntax errors – have been added, along with an updated UAE Tax Data Document (TDD) version 1.0.1. Service providers must return a negative Message Level Response and submit a UAE Tax Data Status (TDS) to the Federal Tax Authority Access Point.

The Austrian government announced that it will halve the VAT rate on essential food items as part of its fiscal policy. The change is expected to provide relief to consumers on basic groceries. No further details on the effective date or specific rates were disclosed in the article.