Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

EU Council has approved a temporary flat €3 customs duty per item for low‑value e‑commerce imports (≤€150) from third countries, effective 1 July 2026 until July 2028. The levy targets non‑EU sellers registered under the Import One‑Stop Shop, covering about 93 % of parcels, and is separate from VAT. It will be replaced by the EU Customs Data Hub in 2028, after which standard customs tariffs will apply.

Canada Revenue Agency has confirmed that independent financial advisors will now need to collect and remit GST/HST on trailing commissions from mutual fund dealers, effective July 1, 2026. The rule applies to advisors whose taxable revenue from trailing commissions exceeds $30,000, while dealer employees remain exempt. The CRA’s notice clarifies that trailing commissions are no longer considered financial services for GST purposes.

Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed a flat 22% VAT on all foreign goods, including purchases via online marketplaces, effective 1 January 2027. The proposal contrasts with a Ministry of Finance draft that would raise the rate gradually from 5% in 2027 to 20% in 2030. The announcement was made by Minister Anton Alikhanov at the Duma Committee on Industrial Policy on 11 February 2026.

China’s new VAT Law effective 1 Jan 2026 introduces updated thresholds for small‑scale taxpayers. Monthly and quarterly thresholds remain at RMB 100,000 and RMB 300,000, while the per‑transaction threshold is doubled to RMB 1,000. Natural persons in six specific activities must aggregate sales monthly, affecting foreign‑invested enterprises’ supplier and invoicing practices.

The European Parliament’s ECON committee has released a draft report urging the removal of the long‑standing VAT exemption for financial and insurance services under Directive 2006/112/EC. The report highlights the distortions caused by the exemption, the proliferation of over 90 sector‑specific taxes across the EU, and calls for a coordinated framework that taxes identifiable fees, clarifies emerging services, and harmonises cost‑sharing mechanisms.

A draft European Parliament report dated Feb. 4 calls for changes to the VAT exemption for the EU’s financial sector, arguing it is misaligned with today’s economic and technological realities. The report proposes coordinated EU‑wide taxation where feasible and minimum standards for temporary windfall taxation to align exceptional profits with long‑term public investment priorities. It was authored by German MEP Matthias Ecke.