Treatment of fire charges is tricky in almost all jurisdictions. Fire coverage can vary from as high as 100% to 20%. No-one would dispute that the most complex fire charge treatment is in Spain. In Portugal, whilst the rules are less complex, they have a unique reporting system for how the policies covering fire must […]
Some European tax authorities require annual insurance premium tax (IPT) reports to be submitted for the calendar year in addition to regular monthly or quarterly reporting. Annual reports usually require significant detail, making the process time consuming and labour intensive for insurers. Annual reporting requirements vary from country to country, making it complex for cross-border […]
There are a variety of different approaches to Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) treatment for marine insurance across Europe. Before looking at how individual countries treat marine insurance, it is worth noting the challenges in determining the country entitled to levy IPT and any associated charges. The location of risk relating to marine vessels falls within […]
Update: 9 March 2023 by Hector Fernandez IPT in Spain is complex. Navigating the country’s requirements and ensuring compliance can feel a difficult task. Sovos has developed this guide to answer prominent and pressing questions to help your understanding of Insurance Premium Tax in the country. Originally created following a Spain IPT webinar we hosted, […]
The Spanish tax system is one of the most complex in Europe. This can bring a real challenge to insurance companies writing business in Spain or for those that want to start writing business in the country. As explained in previous blogs, Spain has various taxes and surcharges on insurance premiums with different rates and […]
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when new taxes or tax rate increases will happen. Covid-19 has impacted almost everything, including a massive deficit in the economy. Many banks have applied negative interest and governments have put funding in place to aid recovery. It’s highly likely that tax authorities will be looking at ways to bring […]
Europe has seen relatively few changes to insurance premium tax (IPT) rates recently. The most notable recent change was the 33% increase in IPT rate in Spain (up from 6% to 8%) at the beginning of 2021. Brexit became official on 1 January 2021, following the end of the transition period. This means UK based […]
Tax authorities have increased their focus on the insurance industry to ensure Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) and parafiscal taxes are collected correctly, accurately, and on time. Operating in multiple countries inevitably means also having to comply with many local regulations in line with IPT statutory and parafiscal filing. Compliance regimes can be simple or complex, […]
The new rate for Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) was published in the Spanish Gazette (BOE) on 31 December 2020. It increases from 6% to 8%. This increased rated applies to the first tax period of 2021 (for submissions to be made the next February). In this blog, we’ll look at the challenges faced by insurers […]
From April, insurers will start to make their first electronic filing of Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) in Luxembourg using the new online submission portal – myGuichet. Along with other European territories, the Luxembourg tax authority has sought to streamline and improve IPT collection and administration. Using an online portal is an efficient and secure way […]
Although insurance companies do their best to settle their tax liabilities in the most compliant manner, historical liabilities may still occur. Here is an overview of the different types of historical declarations with some insurance premium tax (IPT) examples. When a tax liability becomes a historical liability Let’s start with a simple chart: Are we […]
2021 sees several significant regulation changes for insurers when complying with insurance premium tax (IPT) across Europe. These include a new reporting system, an IPT increase, and new exemptions. To help insurers understand these changes, in this blog we’ll look at each of these changes. Spain – IPT increase Probably the most significant change this […]
From underwriting to reporting, the insurance industry is having to adjust and by choice or imposed, is embracing the digital evolution of its practices. On the reporting front, more tax authorities are forcing insurance companies to tailor their internal processes by jurisdiction, directly impacting the collection of information at the underwriting stage. Digitized services continue […]
Just like in every jurisdiction, settling tax liabilities compliantly is important to avoid penalties and other consequences. But in Hungary there are additional benefits to a taxpayer if tax liabilities are settled as compliantly as possible. As of 1 January 2016, Hungary introduced the so-called taxpayers’ qualification system. This means the Hungarian Tax Office (HUTA) […]
Location of Risk is the foundation of any discussion concerning Insurance Premium Tax (IPT). Once you have correctly established the Location of Risk on a policy, you are on the cusp of determining what indirect taxes are due. This blog provides you with an overview on Location of Risk. For a deep dive read our […]
Insurance premium tax (IPT) deadlines – whether it’s month end, quarterly IPT filings or end of year, can be stressful for insurance tax teams juggling regular workloads alongside the added pressure of ensuring filing is completed accurately and on time. To help, we wanted to offer some guidance on how to navigate deadline season successfully. […]
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, the insurance industry has been put under the spotlight in France, sometimes being the scapegoat for failing to compensate its insureds. Exceptional tax, insurance premiums frozen, contribution to Solidarity Funds and schemes are all examples of the measures taken. In this blog we detail the different steps taken by local authorities […]
The new stamp duty requirements in Portugal will come into effect in February 2021, having been previously delayed. The delay has given insurers extra time to prepare for the upcoming changes but even with that additional buffer, many may still be unsure of the requirements and what is expected of them. The new system will […]