The VATfaqs digest
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Ukraine’s parliament has exempted the supply of ground‑based unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to the Defense Forces from VAT. The exemption, enacted via Bill No. 15259, aims to accelerate delivery of logistics and medical evacuation equipment. The law takes effect from 28 May 2026.
Italy has amended its 2026 barter VAT rules, replacing the cost‑based valuation model with a contractual value approach. The change, effective 1 January 2026, requires the taxable amount to reflect the parties’ agreed monetary value but not fall below the supplier’s direct costs, and applies retroactively to contracts from that date while protecting earlier invoices.
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The Isle of Man will lower VAT on children’s meals and family entertainment tickets from 20% to 5% between 25 June and 1 September 2026, easing costs for families. The change also applies to cinema, theatre, show tickets and attraction admissions. Additionally, red diesel duty will be cut from 10.18p to 6.48p per litre from 15 June 2026.
The UK government has introduced a temporary 5% VAT rate on admission to certain family attractions, effective from 25 June to 1 September 2026, replacing the standard 20% rate. The cut covers museums, planetariums, heritage sites, nature reserves, botanical gardens, children’s meals and performance‑venue tickets marketed for children, but excludes seasonal passes beyond 1 September unless priced similarly to day tickets. Charities already exempt from VAT do not benefit unless they operate through a VAT‑registered trading subsidiary.
Austria’s parliament approved legislation halving the VAT on essential food items to 4.9% from 10% effective 1 July 2022. The measure covers staples such as milk, bread, eggs, rice, flour and selected fruits and vegetables, and is expected to save households about €100 a year.
Austria has approved legislation to halve the VAT on essential food items, reducing the rate from 10% to 4.9% effective 1 July 2026. The measure covers staples such as milk, bread, eggs, rice, flour, and certain fruits and vegetables. The government estimates the cost at €400 million and household savings of about €100 per year.
Latvia will lower the VAT rate on a range of essential food items from 21% to 12% effective 1 July 2026, following an agreement between the Ministry of Economics and retailers. The change covers bread, milk, poultry products, eggs and flour, and is designed to be fully reflected in consumer prices. The move is part of a broader low‑price basket initiative aimed at easing food costs for residents.
The UK will apply a temporary 5% VAT rate to children's meals, admission tickets to theatres, cinemas, concerts, exhibitions, shows, and family attractions from 25 June 2026 to 1 September 2026 inclusive. The reduced rate ends on 1 September 2026, after which the standard rate resumes.
From 1 January 2026, Italy has enacted a new automated VAT assessment regime for omitted annual returns, allowing the tax authority to calculate VAT due using e‑invoicing and other digital data. The automated determination must be completed by 31 December of the seventh year following the missing return, and penalties are capped at 120% of VAT due, reducible to one‑third if paid within 60 days of notice.
Ukraine will abolish its VAT exemption for imported parcels under €150 from 2027, requiring marketplaces to collect 20% VAT at point of sale. Citizen‑to‑citizen parcels under €45 will remain exempt if free and not for resale. The reform, based on draft laws 15112‑D and 12360, is expected to raise about UAH 10 billion annually.
Slovenia’s parliament approved emergency legislation that temporarily cuts VAT on a basket of staple foods to 5% and on household energy supplies to 9.5% for nine months, effective 17 May 2026. Businesses must update invoicing, pricing and ERP systems to reflect the new rates and ensure compliance with digital reporting requirements.
The Delhi government has reduced the VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from 25% to 7% effective 16 May 2026. The change applies to airlines purchasing fuel at Delhi airports, providing significant cost savings for the aviation sector.
Kenya's Finance Bill 2026 expands VAT coverage to include a wide range of digital financial and payment processing services, effective 1 July 2026. Commissions earned by payment service providers on these services will be standard-rated for VAT, replacing previous exemptions. The change requires PSPs to reassess VAT treatment, update invoicing systems, and review contracts and pricing structures.
Morocco’s General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) has launched a new online platform for collecting VAT on remote digital services. Non‑resident companies providing digital services to Moroccan customers must register, obtain a tax ID, file quarterly declarations and maintain transaction registers from 11 June 2026.
Serbia has introduced significant amendments to its VAT Rulebook, effective from the April 2026 VAT period. Key changes include mandatory SEF self‑invoicing using the “Individual VAT Record – Internal account” document type, new rules for VAT base estimation, adjustments, discounts, and goods returns, and simplified timing and consolidation of adjustment documents. These reforms tighten compliance and digital reporting requirements across the country.
UAE's Ministry of Finance has extended the deadline for large taxpayers to appoint an Accredited Service Provider (ASP) to 30 October 2026, while keeping the mandatory e‑invoicing go‑live dates unchanged. Large businesses must issue e‑invoices via the Peppol network in PINT AE format from 1 January 2027, with smaller businesses and government entities following in July and October 2027 respectively. The amendment also introduces a white‑label mechanism for ASP accreditation, allowing UAE‑based firms to partner with international technology providers.
The Ministry of Finance has extended the deadline for appointing Accredited Service Providers (ASP) for e‑invoicing to 30 October 2026 for businesses with annual revenues above AED 50 million. The mandatory implementation deadline remains 1 January 2027. The amendment also introduces a white‑label framework enabling UAE firms to partner with international providers.
Utah has enacted legislation extending sales and use tax to a broad range of digital products and subscription-based services effective 1 July 2026. The new rules tax payments for access to digital audio/video, streaming, gaming, e‑books, music, SaaS, and cloud‑hosted software, with a 4.7 % rate and a $100,000 remote‑seller threshold. Existing services under the Multi‑Channel Video or Audio Service Tax Act remain exempt to avoid double taxation.
Sweden’s Parliament approved a proposal that will allow the Swedish Tax Agency to conduct online audits of businesses’ cloud accounting and VAT records starting 1 April 2026. The new powers remove the ban on internet access, enabling auditors to log in directly to live systems via read‑only profiles or secure APIs, even when the taxpayer does not cooperate. The change also updates evidence rules to support remote examination of electronic records and is part of a broader move toward structured e‑invoicing and digital compliance.
A new Swedish bill adopted on May 6 2026 empowers the Swedish Tax Agency to deny input VAT credits for significant excess amounts during audits. The change expands the agency’s authority to challenge VAT recoveries that exceed allowable limits, requiring businesses to review their input VAT claims for compliance.