A UK tax tribunal has ruled that VAT on public EV charging should be reduced from 20% to 5%, a change that could correct the imbalance for drivers without home chargers. The ruling has not yet been adopted by HMRC, and the article discusses how shared charging infrastructure can complement tax reform to accelerate fleet electrification.

The blog post summarizes a session at ELEVATE 2026, emphasizing that VAT automation is now essential for global operations. It outlines practical steps—data stabilization, standardization, pilot automation, and continuous optimization—and highlights the role of co‑sourcing and AI in elevating tax teams from operators to strategic advisors.

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.

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 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.

Multi‑country e‑invoicing is evolving from a compliance exercise into a global business transformation initiative. The article outlines four strategic pillars—selecting a single global supplier, partnering with a tax‑technology expert, ensuring clean ERP‑driven data, and leveraging automation—to turn compliance into operational value. These elements can help multinational organisations reduce complexity, improve accuracy, and unlock broader financial insights.

Basware’s blog post discusses the lack of a nationwide e‑invoicing mandate in the U.S. and urges finance leaders to build proactive compliance systems before future regulations arrive. It cites that 47 % of U.S. companies have struggled with market expansion due to missed deadlines, 83 % see fragmented compliance as a risk, and only 33 % can scale compliance effectively. The piece highlights the benefits of an invoice lifecycle management approach for real‑time visibility and audit readiness.

The post explains that e‑invoicing success hinges on technical validation, especially schematron rules, rather than just electronic transmission. It highlights how failures in these rules can delay payments, increase DSO, and create manual intervention for AP teams. The author plans to share deeper insights into validation and integration in future posts.

The article explains how the VAT classification of a travel business as an agent or principal determines whether VAT is charged on the full travel supply or only on the intermediary commission. It outlines the key contractual and commercial factors that influence this classification and highlights the financial implications for finance teams, including VAT accounting, input VAT recovery, and the applicability of the Tour Operators Margin Scheme (TOMS).

The article explains how usage‑based billing models—common in AI and SaaS—create complex VAT timing issues. It outlines when VAT is due for prepaid credits, hybrid pricing, tiered discounts, and the risks of delayed data processing. Tax teams are urged to embed VAT rules into billing workflows early to avoid compliance gaps.

EY discusses the e-invoicing requirements for South Africa, outlining what CFOs and COOs should consider to comply with the new digital invoicing rules.

A parliamentary question and Treasury response have clarified that paid entries in UK prize draws are not exempt from VAT and will be taxed at the standard 20% rate. The voluntary code of conduct for prize draw operators, aimed at improving consumer protection, will take full effect on 20 May 2026. The sector is valued at £1.3 billion annually.

UAE businesses are discovering that self‑managed VAT filing can lead to significant penalties, lost refunds, and audit complications. The new penalty regime effective 14 April 2026 and the five‑year limitation period for VAT credits introduced on 1 January 2026 have increased the cost of DIY compliance. Professional services now offer measurable savings through accurate filing, proactive deadline management and timely refund claims.

The Supreme Court’s December 2025 ruling reaffirmed the BLP barrier, stating that VAT incurred on fees for share sales remains non‑deductible because of a direct and immediate link to an exempt supply. The decision effectively ends the argument that share‑sale proceeds can be used to recover VAT on overheads. Businesses must therefore plan VAT recovery strategies early and seek specialist advice before raising capital through share sales.

The article discusses how AI is now being integrated into VAT tax engines, emphasizing that the real benefit comes from smarter workflow design rather than just smarter models. It highlights reliability as the key constraint and advocates a human‑in‑the‑loop operating model to ensure accurate, auditable VAT determinations. It also outlines near‑term applications such as faster coding, ERP reconciliation, anomaly flagging, and regulatory change monitoring.

India’s GST rationalisation introduced a two‑tiered rate structure of 5% and 18% in September 2025, boosting domestic consumption. However, February 2026 saw a sharp rise in import IGST collections—up 17% YoY—driven by a weaker rupee and higher import costs, which may erode the price relief from the new rates.

Bloomberg Tax’s commentary examines the European Commission’s proposal to grant EU anti‑fraud bodies access to national VAT data, a move aimed at closing the €128 billion annual VAT gap. The article highlights the debate over jurisdiction and the balance between cross‑border enforcement and national sovereignty.

Since VAT was imposed on school fees, UK schools have struggled with partial exemption calculations, especially with fees in advance. The article explains that schools should apply the Standard Method Override when the difference exceeds £50,000, complete capital goods scheme adjustments six months after the year‑end, and that HMRC is now probing fees in advance and may inspect returns in person within 12‑18 months.

The EU is set to overhaul its e‑commerce customs regime, abolishing the <EUR 150 exemption on July 1 2026 and replacing it with a flat EUR 3 fee per product. From November 1 2026 a EUR 2 handling fee will apply to all distance‑sale goods, while platforms will become deemed importers responsible for duties, VAT and compliance. A new customs data hub is slated for 2028 and dedicated e‑commerce warehouses are encouraged to mitigate the impact.