Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

The UAE Federal Tax Authority announced key updates to VAT and excise tax regulations, including new service fee amendments effective 1 January 2026, a final filing deadline of 28 January 2026 for VAT returns, and clarified requirements for conformity certificates and a tiered volumetric model for sweetened drinks.

Colombia will impose a 10% VAT on gasoline and diesel from Jan 1 2026, alongside a 90‑peso per gallon gasoline and 99‑peso per gallon diesel price adjustment. The government also raised the minimum wage by 22.7% to 1.75 million pesos, while inflation is projected to stay above 4% by year‑end, prompting potential price‑control measures.

The UK’s new ‘taxi tax’ imposes a 20% VAT on minicab fares, but Uber has restructured driver contracts from January 2026 to act as an agent, shifting VAT responsibility to drivers. Most drivers earn below £90 k and therefore do not charge VAT, keeping fares outside London unchanged, while London fares remain subject to VAT.

Colombia’s government has shifted the 19% value‑added tax on online gambling from deposits to gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the 2026 fiscal year. The emergency decree, issued after the 2025 Financing Bill failed, re‑allocates the tax to GGR, reducing the effective burden on operators from up to 70% of real income to about 34% of gross revenue. The change is expected to fill a COP16.3 trillion budget gap for 2026 but may face legal challenges.

The article lists a series of VAT and GST rate changes set to take effect on 1 January 2026 across multiple jurisdictions, including the removal of reduced rates for accommodation in the Netherlands, new reduced rates in Finland and Lithuania, and standard rate increases in Zimbabwe and Malawi. It highlights the need for businesses to update pricing, invoicing, and compliance systems in anticipation of these changes.

The SME scheme allows small enterprises to sell goods and services without charging VAT to their customers and alleviates their VAT compliance obligations. The scheme is optional and applicable to small enterprises with a total annual turnover of no more than EUR 100,000 in all Member States.

From 1 January 2025, the UK's long-standing VAT exemption for private education was removed. Private schools must now charge 20% VAT on their fees, significantly impacting the independent education sector.