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.
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VATcube · about 1 month ago
Latvia will introduce a temporary 12% VAT rate on essential food products from 1 July 2026, while the standard rate remains 21% and a 5% super‑reduced rate applies to specific categories. Businesses must update invoicing, ERP, and VAT return processes before the effective date to avoid compliance issues.
Bloomberg Tax · 5 months ago
Latvia's parliament has accepted Bill No. 1206 for consideration, which proposes reducing the VAT rate on firewood and thermal energy for household use from 12% to 5% between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2026. The bill also requires that invoices issued at the 12% rate during that period be corrected by the law’s entry‑into‑force date.
VatCalc · 5 months ago
Latvia has increased its Intrastat reporting thresholds for 2024, raising the Arrivals threshold to €380,000 and the Dispatches threshold to €220,000. These new thresholds will take effect on 1 January 2026, aligning Latvia with updated EU Intrastat reporting requirements.
SNI Technology · 6 months ago
Latvia’s Cabinet Regulation, effective 1 January 2026, mandates structured electronic invoicing and reporting to the State Revenue Service (SRS) for all B2G, G2B, and G2G transactions, with B2B reporting becoming mandatory from 1 January 2028. The regulation specifies four delivery channels—e‑adrese, certified service providers, EDI, and email—each linked to a distinct SRS reporting method and requires XML invoices in UBL 2.1 or Peppol BIS Billing 3.0. Invoices must be reported within five working days of issuance, with contingency rules for technical disruptions.
Law360 · about 9 hours ago
The EU Court of Justice has ruled that a person liable for VAT in one member state cannot also be held jointly and severally liable for VAT owed by an entity established in another member state. This decision clarifies cross-border VAT liability rules within the EU. The ruling applies to Greek cases and other EU member states.
Numeral · about 11 hours ago
The EU One Stop Shop (OSS) is a VAT scheme that allows businesses to register in one member state and file a single quarterly return for cross-border B2C sales. It applies to EU-based companies with aggregate sales above €10,000 and to non-EU businesses with a fixed establishment in the EU. The scheme simplifies compliance but does not replace domestic VAT returns.
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Key Takeaways
From 1 July 2026, the VAT rate on specified essential food items will drop to 12%.
Bread, fresh milk, fresh chilled poultry meat, fresh poultry eggs, flour, poultry products and fresh eggs are included.
It ensures that the VAT reduction is fully reflected in final retail prices for the specified essential food products.
Primary source
Read the full article at BNN NewsThis summary was published on VATfaqs.com on 22 May 2026. It relates to VAT developments in Latvia. The original source is BNN News.
