The EU is proposing two new customs charges for small‑value imported parcels: a €2 handling fee effective November 2026 and a flat €3 duty on goods below €150 effective July 2026. These charges would be paid via the IOSS monthly return and could undermine the scheme by increasing costs and operational complexity. The measures are temporary, pending 2028 customs reforms, and will be reviewed every three months.

The Oman Tax Authority (OTA) has been approved as a Peppol Authority and is advancing its e-invoicing rollout. A consultation session on December 9, 2025 reviewed the draft data dictionary, and OTA has set a phased accreditation schedule for Q1–Q3 2026, culminating in an August 2026 pilot where taxpayers can exchange e‑invoices. The draft dictionary specifies 53 mandatory fields for standard tax e‑invoices and 66 additional conditional fields.

China’s Ministry of Finance announced the cancellation of VAT export rebates for photovoltaic glass products effective 1 April 2026, which is expected to give a short‑term boost to soda ash prices. Battery product rebates will be phased out during 2026 and fully eliminated by 2027. The policy, declared on 9 January 2026, is part of a broader effort to curb excess inventory in the soda ash market.

HMRC has reversed its stance on UK VAT grouping, allowing overseas establishments of UK VAT groups to be treated as part of the group even in EU member states that do not allow whole entity VAT grouping. The change, announced on 19 January 2026, follows a November 2025 brief that also invites businesses to reclaim overpaid VAT. The shift aims to simplify cross‑border compliance and attract foreign investment, while expanding revenue‑protection rules.

Hungary has raised its Intrastat reporting thresholds for EU intra‑community dispatches and arrivals effective 1 January 2026. The arrivals threshold rises to HUF 500 million and the dispatches threshold to HUF 200 million, while the statistical reporting thresholds remain unchanged. The electronic Intrastat form now requires detailed data such as goods description, commodity code, delivery terms, transport mode, destination and origin countries, weight or quantity, and invoice value, and since January 2022 also the country of origin for dispatches and the VAT ID of the recipient.

The article outlines how AI and advanced analytics are sharpening audit precision, highlights intensified transfer pricing scrutiny, and stresses the need for businesses to prepare for Pillar Two global minimum tax rules. It emphasizes pre‑audit readiness, real‑time data integrity, and cross‑functional alignment to mitigate risk in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

The article explains the EU VAT Directive’s call‑off stock simplification, which exempts the transfer of goods between Member States from VAT when a single, predetermined customer is known. It contrasts this with consignment stock, which triggers a deemed intra‑Community supply and requires VAT registration in the destination country. Practical compliance requirements such as maintaining stock registers, submitting EC Sales List reports, and potential Intrastat reporting are also outlined.

The article examines the OECD’s Digital Continuous Transactional Reporting (DCTR) framework, highlighting its role as a strategic blueprint for Tax Administration 3.0. It discusses the shift from manual reporting to real‑time digital compliance, the two primary DCTR models, interoperability challenges, SME protection measures, and the importance of data minimization for trust and security.

The German e-invoicing market is projected to grow from USD 15.2 billion in 2024 to USD 41.86 billion by 2033, driven by EU Directive 2014/55/EU and a 13.5% CAGR. Cloud-based solutions dominate the market, holding over 70% share, while large corporations represent about 60% of the market and SMEs are rapidly expanding. The analysis highlights regulatory mandates, market segmentation, and strategic opportunities for technology providers.