E-commerce continues to grow, and tax authorities globally have struggled to keep pace. Tax authorities developed many VAT systems before the advent of e-commerce in its current format and the evolution of the internet. Around the world this has resulted in changes to ensure that taxation occurs in the way that the government wants, removing distortions of competition between local and non-resident businesses.
The European Commission made changes on 1 July 2021 with the E-commerce VAT Package, which modernised how VAT applies to e-commerce sales and also how the VAT is collected. As the previous system had been in place since 1 July 1993, change was well overdue.
The principle of the taxation of e-commerce in the European Union (EU) is that it should occur in the place of consumption – this normally means where the final consumer makes use of the goods and services. For goods, this means where the goods are delivered to and for services, where the consumer is resident – although there are some exceptions.
Where the VAT is due in a different Member State than where the supplier is established, this requires the supplier to account for VAT in a different country. Micro-businesses are relieved of the requirement to account for VAT in the place of consumption. Though, most e-commerce businesses selling across the EU will have to account for VAT in many other Member States which would be administratively burdensome.
To overcome this problem, the European Commission decided to significantly expand the Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS), which was previously in place for B2C supplies of telecoms, broadcasting and electronically supplied services. Three new schemes allow businesses to register for VAT in a single Member State and use that OSS registration to account for VAT in all other Member States where VAT is due.
Union OSS allows both EU and non-EU businesses to account for VAT on intra-EU distance sales of goods. It also allows EU businesses to account for VAT on intra-EU supplies of B2C services.
Non-Union OSS allows non-EU businesses to account for VAT on all supplies of B2C services where EU VAT is due.
Import OSS allows both EU and non-EU businesses to account for VAT on imports of goods in packages with an intrinsic value of less than €150.
Currently, none of the OSS schemes are compulsory, and businesses can choose to be registered for VAT in the Member State where the VAT is due. The European Commission is currently consulting on the success of the OSS schemes, and one of the proposals is that the use of Import OSS would become compulsory. There are also questions about whether the threshold should be increased, although that would require consideration of how to deal with customs duty as the €150 threshold is the point at which customs duty can become chargeable.
The use of the Union and non-Union OSS schemes can provide a valuable alternative to registering for VAT in multiple Member States. However, there can be other reasons why a business will need to maintain VAT registrations in other countries. Businesses should carry out a full supply chain review to identify the VAT obligations.
There are also many benefits to using the Import OSS, including the ability to recover VAT on returned goods and a simplified delivery process for both the supplier and customer.
Any businesses using any OSS schemes should fully understand the scheme’s requirements. Non-compliance can result in exclusion with the requirement to register for VAT in those countries where it is due. This will remove the benefit of the OSS schemes, increasing costs and administrative burden for the business.
Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help your business understand the new OSS requirements.
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Whilst the UK leaving the European Union (EU) on 31 December 2020 seems like a long time ago, UK businesses still have to deal with changes to the processes in place when importing goods from suppliers in the EU.
Throughout 2021, goods imported into Great Britain from the EU were subject to several easements from a customs perspective. This was to reduce the burden of completing full customs declarations and dealing with all of the consequences of importing goods that were previously not subject to import documentation and controls.
UK businesses were unprepared, partly due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, so these simplifications were extended a few times during 2021. As of 1 January 2022, goods moving between the EU and Great Britain will be subject to full customs declarations and controls. Subsequently, there is no longer the ability to defer customs declarations as was previously the case.
Additionally, any customs duty due on goods will be due at the time of entry rather than when the customs declaration is submitted, as was the case in 2021. Businesses can achieve delayed payment of the customs duty by applying for a duty deferment account with HMRC. In some instances, it can be achieved without the need for a financial guarantee to be lodged, so it is worth considering.
Due to the negotiations between the UK government and the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol, imports of non-controlled goods from Ireland and Northern Ireland will not be subject to these changes. The previous easements will still apply. This means that customs declarations can be delayed for up to 175 days. The UK government will make further announcements once the discussions on the Protocol have been completed. We will update further when that happens.
Regarding import VAT, Postponed Import VAT Accounting (PIVA) remains available and, whilst not compulsory, it is recommended, as it provides a valuable cashflow benefit. It applies to imports from all countries and not just the EU. Unlike in some EU countries, it is not automatically applied and has to be claimed when the import declaration is submitted. Therefore, the importer must advise whoever submits the declaration to complete it accordingly. If it is not claimed, import VAT is payable at the time of entry and will have to be recovered on the VAT return – HMRC continues to issue the C79 certificate when VAT is paid at the border, and it is required evidence to recover VAT.
Businesses will also need to remember to download the monthly PIVA statement from HMRC’s website – this is required to determine the amount of import VAT payable on the VAT return. This needs to be done within six months as it is not available after that time.
Another change is regarding Intrastat reporting for imports into Great Britain from the EU. Arrivals declarations were required during 2021 to provide the UK government with trade statistics, given that importers could delay submitting full customs declarations. Intrastat arrivals are now only required for goods moving from the EU to Northern Ireland – this is because Northern Ireland is still considered part of the EU for goods.
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement provisions have to be considered when importing goods from the EU especially regarding the origin of the goods and whether the import is tariff-free. This has been in place since 1 January 2021, but there are practical changes that are considered further in our article which discusses the origin of goods and claiming relief on trade between the EU and UK. These changes mean that imports from the EU are treated in the same way as imports from any other country, except for goods from Ireland and Northern Ireland, which are still subject to special arrangements.
Keen to know how changes between the EU and UK will impact your VAT compliance obligations? Contact us to find out more.
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides for tariff-free trade between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) but does not work in the same way as when the UK was part of the EU.
Before Brexit, if the goods were in free circulation within the EU, they could be moved cross-border without incurring any additional customs duty. Therefore, the origin of the goods was not relevant for this intra-EU movement. If the goods originated from outside the EU, customs duty would have been paid as required when they first entered into free circulation but was not payable again.
This difference creates issues for UK businesses where they import finished goods into the UK first before being sold to the EU. As the goods are not being processed in the UK, they cannot be of UK origin and will be subject to double duty unless specific duty mitigations measures are taken.
The same tariff-free trade between the EU and the UK can be achieved under the TCA, but it depends on meeting the detailed rules within the agreement. The key is in the origin of the goods and whether they qualify under the terms of the TCA. This ensures that only eligible goods are tariff-free and removes the risk of goods entering from outside the Free Trade Area without paying customs duty.
The requirement for goods to be of relevant origin to benefit from zero tariffs on imports under the TCA has been in place since 1 January 2021.
If goods meet the appropriate rules of origin, preference can be claimed on the customs declaration when they are imported. Thus, the claim is made by the importer of the goods. However, it is not as simple as completing the appropriate box on the declaration; there is a requirement for the proper evidence to be held.
To claim tariff preference, the importer needs to have one of the following proofs of origin:
If they are relying on a statement of origin, the exporter will have to prove that the goods are of appropriate origin to qualify.
In 2021, there was a light touch approach towards holding evidence when the customs declaration was made. The TCA allowed for a declaration to be made and the evidence to be obtained later to reduce the burden on business. There is still a requirement to provide the appropriate evidence on request, so businesses must ensure that it will be available if necessary.
There may be checks that the goods are of appropriate origin to be free of duty under the TCA. With effect from 1 January 2022, there is a need to have the appropriate evidence that the goods meet the origin requirements when the declaration is lodged. Therefore, businesses will need to ensure that the appropriate documents are immediately available should they be requested.
Businesses should note that it is not obligatory to claim preference at the time of entry of the goods as claims can be made up to three years later, as long as there is valid proof of origin. It is beneficial to claim preference at the earliest possible time to benefit cash flow and provide certainty of the cost of the goods.
Therefore, businesses will need to ensure that they determine origin of goods correctly and have the appropriate evidence to support the goods being tariff-free.
It’s important to remember that the rules for trade between Northern Ireland and the EU are different because of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Get in touch with Sovos to discuss your company’s obligations for cross-border trade.
In our previous blog, we completed the compliance cycle with tax authority audits. However, that’s not the end of the challenges businesses face in remaining compliant in the countries where they have VAT obligations. VAT rules and regulations change as do a business’s supply chains – these need to be carefully reviewed and appropriate action taken so that the business remains complaint.
Supply chains develop over time for a variety of reasons: changes are made to improve efficiency, provide a better customer experience in delivery times or because of entry into new markets. Sometimes, these changes are instigated by the business seeking optimisation, whereas others are forced by external changes such as Brexit forcing businesses trading between the UK and EU to alter supply chains following the UK’s exit from the EU.
Whatever the reason for the change, it’s essential to review the impact on the VAT position of the business. This involves determining the VAT obligations that arise from the new transactions – which we covered in our previous blog. An early warning system of impending supply chain changes is required so they can be reviewed before the new transactions commence. Key to this is awareness of the importance of VAT within the business; the supply chain changes cannot be reviewed if the finance team is not aware of them.
Also, it’s not possible to undo a transaction once it’s taken place so the business must deal with the consequences even if they are adverse. Proactive action can ensure that the business goes into the new supply chain prepared and aware of all the consequences.
There are different ways to structure a supply chain to achieve the same commercial aim; they can have differing VAT implications so consideration of the consequences should form part of the evaluation process to determine the appropriate strategy.
Whilst businesses can control some element of when their supply chains change, responding to changes in legislation is much more difficult.
The first step is to be aware of what has changed. Changes can happen on a pan-EU basis or in an individual Member State so a mechanism needs to be in place to identify changes as soon as they are announced. Often this will require external support, especially if there are obligations in multiple territories.
Once the change has been identified, the next step is to determine the impact on the business. Some changes will have minimal impact whereas others will require proactive action to be compliant with the new rules. Significant changes may require a redesign of the supply chain. An action plan with clear responsibilities and timescales should be put in place to manage the necessary changes.
The EU has seen the introduction of numerous new mandates over recent years, often in respect of continuous transaction controls (CTCs), and this is set to continue as Member States seek to reduce the VAT gap.
The latest information published by the European Commission is for 2019 where the VAT gap was €134 billion. Whilst this showed a reduction from the previous year, it still represents 10.3% expressed as a share of the VAT Total Tax Liability.
Governments need to generate revenue in a post-pandemic world and addressing the VAT gap provides one solution without imposing additional tax burdens as it involves collecting tax that should already have been charged. Based on current trends, it will take 13 years to eradicate the gap so new initiatives are needed, hence the increase in CTCs.
Managing these new mandates will be a critical challenge for business in the coming years as they are introduced in more Member States. A clear strategy is essential to avoid becoming overwhelmed by disparate local requirements.
Over this series of blogs, we’ve looked at the key aspects of ensuring ongoing VAT compliance. Once the necessary processes and controls are in place, businesses can focus on trade knowing that VAT compliance is assured. However, maintaining VAT compliance is a continuous process which should be constantly reviewed to maximise efficiency and minimise risk.
Get in touch about the benefits a managed service provider can offer to ease your VAT compliance burden.
The EU e-Commerce VAT Package is nearly six months old and businesses should have submitted their first Union One Stop Shop (OSS) return by the end of October 2021. Union OSS provides a welcome simplification to the requirement to be registered for VAT in multiple Member States when making intra-EU B2C supplies of goods and services.
Whilst a simplification, there are several conditions that need to be met on an ongoing basis to continues its use. The European Commission produced a number of guides on the application of Union OSS prior to its introduction which provided guidance on its operation. However, there are still several questions about how Union OSS interacts with other compliance obligations in place for e-commerce sellers around the EU.
Intrastat is the EU’s mechanism to provide details of intra-EU trade in the absence of customs borders. It’s made up of two components: dispatches declarations submitted in the Member State where the transport starts and arrivals declarations in the Member State of delivery.
E-commerce businesses selling intra-EU goods have long had to comply with Intrastat obligations when they exceeded the reporting thresholds. For lots of businesses an obligation arose in the Member State from where the goods are dispatched given that goods were delivered to multiple other EU countries, so thresholds were often exceeded.
In addition, larger e-commerce sellers also had obligations to submit arrivals declarations in the country of delivery of the goods even though they were not the purchaser of the goods. The very largest may also have had obligations to submit dispatches declarations in the Member State of their customer because of returned goods.
There is no mention of Intrastat in any of the European Commission’s guides about OSS so no guidance is provided on how it will apply when a business adopts Union OSS. Furthermore, many Member States do not currently seem to have a finalised position on the interaction with Union OSS.
The position in the Member State of dispatch of the goods seems clear but there are potentially complexities when goods are dispatched from more than one Member State especially if there is no VAT registration in that country. Whilst this is unlikely, there are circumstances where no VAT registration is required or even allowed.
The real complexity is with regards to Intrastat arrivals declarations. The principle of Union OSS is that no VAT registration is required in the Member State of the customer for intra-EU supplies. There may be other reasons for a VAT registration there but for many e-commerce sellers, they will not have to be registered in the Member State of delivery.
This raises the question of whether arrivals declarations are required in those territories. Some Intrastat authorities have provided guidance and those that have are taking different routes. Some are clear it is not required for arrivals when using Union OSS whilst others still require declarations to be made even though there is no local VAT registration in place.
We continue to monitor the situation and will update further as more information is available.
E-commerce sellers of goods can have other compliance and tax obligations in the countries to which they deliver goods. These include meeting local country rules with regards to environmental taxes. For example in Romania there is a requirement for e-commerce sellers to submit Environmental Fund returns even if the business has opted to use Union OSS. This creates complexity as the Romanian VAT number is normally used to file the returns. A separate registration seems to be possible to ensure compliance with the environmental regulations.
There is also potentially an issue in Hungary with the retail tax that is payable by businesses with a turnover in excess of HUF 500 million. There is still a liability to pay the tax even if there is no VAT registration because of Union OSS. Affected businesses will need to ensure that they remain compliant.
Teething problems can be expected with any new regime but there is an argument that some of these should have been predicted and clear guidance provided, especially for Intrastat. It is clear that some authorities have not considered the matter at all prior to Union OSS’s introduction. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates when more information is available.
Get in touch to discuss your Union OSS queries with our tax experts and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep up-to-date with regulatory news and updates.
In our previous blog, we looked at the challenges that businesses face in submitting VAT and other declarations on an ongoing basis. However, the compliance cycle doesn’t end there as tax authorities will carry out audits for a variety of reasons to validate declarations.
When VAT returns consisted of only numbers, audits were carried out to obtain more information about the business activities taking place behind those numbers. The increased amounts of transaction data provided to tax authorities via SAF-T, local listings and continuous transaction controls (CTCs) means this is changing. Audits are still carried out even with the additional VAT information, mainly to determine that VAT declarations accurately reflect the activities of the business.
Whilst the frequency of audits varies considerably between Member States, it is common across the EU for an audit to be carried out if the business requests a repayment of VAT. In some countries, this will happen whenever a repayment is requested, whereas others will take a more risk-based approach and only audit if the repayment is higher than expected from a business that regularly receives repayments.
Speed is of the essence for audits as cashflow is impacted until the repayment is made. This needs to be at the forefront of whoever is managing the audit but careful consideration of the questions being asked by the tax authority and responses being made by the business remains essential.
Audits can either be done in-person or via correspondence although In-person audits are currently less common due to Covid-19. The audit is normally carried out via correspondence if the taxpayer is not established in the country of registration, which in some countries requires a local advisor.
This leads to a key question: whether to handle the audit in-house or bring in external expertise. Whilst managing an audit in-house will save fees, it is essential to consider the consequences of the audit. An external advisor could be brought in at a later stage but they may be hampered by responses provided to the tax authority at the outset of the audit. Proper consideration should be given to utilising specialist external advisors, especially if there is a significant amount of VAT or complex issues are involved.
The priority for any audit is to successfully resolve it as quickly as possible with no detrimental impact to the business. This will minimise the amount of management time, fees and exposure to penalties or interest.
Many audits will start with the tax authority asking some specific questions – this could be about the business generally or about specific transactions. The questions are asked for a reason so businesses need to consider why they’re being asked to determine how to respond and minimise the risk of problems later in the audit.
Managing deadlines is important as failure to do so can have detrimental effects. Some tax authorities impose very short deadlines so prompt attention is required. It may be possible to agree an extension, but this is not always the case. Providing clear unambiguous answers and supporting documentation is essential to obtain the desired outcome.
Once the audit has been concluded, any corrective action needs to be taken. In the ideal situation, nothing must be done and the business can continue to trade successfully. If an adverse decision or payment request has been issued by the tax authority, consideration needs to be given as to whether to appeal the decision; again, strict deadlines must be met.
Even without such a decision, the audit may have highlighted areas where work is required to avoid problems arising in the future. An action plan should be created with clear responsibilities and deadlines.
Once all work has been done, the business can return to the normal compliance cycle of submitting VAT returns and other declarations. An ongoing challenge is making sure the business successfully manages changes in their VAT position, and we will be looking at this in our final blog in this series.
Get in touch about the benefits a managed service provider can offer to ease your VAT compliance burden.
The EU introduces the E-Commerce VAT Package and OSS on 1 July 2021. The previous delay from 1 January 2021 was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is far from resolved with many Member States still suffering significantly with wide-ranging restrictions in place in many countries.
Regardless, the European Commission’s current plan is to press ahead with the implementation of the package. The package has the potential to generate significant additional tax revenues. The EU Commission estimates an additional €7 billion of tax revenue for Member States annually.
Combine this with the significant shift to online purchasing by consumers as a result of the various lockdowns in place and a further delay would perpetuate the benefit of low value consignment relief (LVCR) that sellers of goods delivered from outside the EU enjoy. This relieves low value imports from VAT whereas currently a local supplier must account for VAT irrespective of the value of the goods. The introduction of the new package removes LVCR on 1 July 1 2021.
LVCR has recently been removed by the UK Government so that all imports into Great Britain are now liable to VAT, with suppliers and deemed suppliers being liable to register and account for VAT for B2C sales where the goods are below £135.
The EU equivalent scheme will provide a mechanism for suppliers and deemed suppliers to be able to account for VAT in a single Member State for imports below €150 via the Import One Stop Shop (iOSS). Other versions of the One Stop Shop (OSS) will also be available for intra-EU distance sales of goods and cross border B2C supplies of services by EU companies (Union OSS) and supplies of B2C services by non-EU suppliers (non-Union OSS).
There is concern around the preparedness of both Member States and businesses for the e-commerce VAT package changes. The European Commission released some guidance in the form of explanatory notes and a customs guide. However many questions remain unanswered.
The final piece in the puzzle from the Commission is the guide to the OSS. This will update the current guide to the Mini One Stop Shop to reflect the upcoming changes the e-commerce package will bring. In addition to covering crucial issues such as registration, returns and payment. The OSS guide release date is uncertain and time is running out.
At a Member State level, there is continuing evidence that not all tax authorities are ready for the change. The Dutch government is introducing emergency measures to be ready in time. It appears that its system will involve manual intervention by the tax authority which is far from ideal.
Additionally, the German customs authorities recently announced that the new electronic customs declaration for goods below €150 will not be operational until 1 January 2022. However it’s not entirely clear what impact this will have on iOSS being available in Germany.
It’s clear that the new OSS mechanisms will provide a simplification for businesses. As a result of allowing VAT to be accounted for in a single Member State. However, there are complexities that businesses need to fully consider. Businesses need to ensure that OSS is the right solution for them, and they are compliant with the rules.
The requirement to display the VAT paid by the customer before completing the order will require systems changes. This poses a challenge for many businesses at a time when many are already dealing with the trials of COVID-19, and in many cases Brexit. Add in the record keeping requirements and it’s clear that the simplification is not simple.
Failure to comply with the rules can result in exclusion from the schemes. Consequently, business will need to register for VAT in all Member States where VAT is due. For e-commerce businesses currently registered for VAT in all Member States as a result of distance selling this would be a return to the current arrangements. However it’s likely that choosing to opt-in to OSS would cancel existing registrations in many countries. So there would be an additional cost and administrative burden in reinstating them.
For smaller businesses, removal from the scheme will be a significant increase in compliance costs. They are likely to currently only hold a registration in a small number of additional countries in addition to their home Member State. The new place of supply rules for intra-EU supplies of B2C goods don’t apply for certain EU established businesses. Those whose sales of intra-EU supplies of B2C goods and electronically supplied services are below €10,000. However many will exceed this, which will significantly increase their compliance burden in choosing not to use OSS.
Businesses therefore need to fully consider the impact of the new rules and determine whether OSS is right for them and if so, how they will ensure compliance with the rules. Additional guidance from the European Commission and tax authorities is urgently required given that a further delay seems unlikely.
Get in touch to find out how we can help. In addition, watch our on-demand webinar to understand more about OSS and the upcoming EU VAT e-commerce package changes.
The UK entered into a new relationship with the EU on 1 January 2021. The Transition Period ended and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) came into force. The UK fully implemented this into law but applied on a provisional basis by the EU. The European Parliament needs to ratify it. This is due by 28 February 2021. However there is a potential to extend this deadline.
However, irrespective of the status of the TCA, there have been a number of changes which have affected how goods move between Great Britain and the EU. It’s important to distinguish between Great Britain and the UK. This is because of the Northern Ireland Protocol which means that EU VAT rules continue to apply in Northern Ireland.
Even businesses that have carefully prepared are finding it challenging to navigate the new system.
There are a number of key factors that need to be considered.
An EORI number is essential for communicating with the customs authorities. So it is a must have for importing or exporting goods from the EU. Also from GB and Northern Ireland. A GB EORI is required for importing and exporting from Great Britain with an XI EORI required for Northern Ireland. It is only possible to have a single EU EORI and as the XI EORI is treated as an EU EORI number, the authorities in some Member States are cancelling EORIs issued in their country.
In both the EU and the UK, non-established businesses will need an indirect representative for customs purposes. There is a shortage and demand is high so it’s essential that appropriate arrangements are in place in advance of imports and exports taking place.
The TCA was heralded as the solution to all problems, but it only applies in specific circumstances and the origin of the goods is key. This is a new area for many businesses and the rules can be complex so need to be fully considered.
If the TCA or another FTA does not apply, it will be necessary to determine the rate of duty that will apply. The EU continues to apply the Common Customs Tariff but the UK introduced a new Global Tariff which applies from 1 January 2021 that needs to be considered.
The UK introduced postponed import VAT accounting which allows accounting for import VAT on the VAT return. This is not compulsory but provides a valuable cashflow benefit if applied. It has to be claimed when the customs declaration is submitted so appropriate instructions will have to be given to whoever is submitting the declaration.
The position varies around the EU. Not all Member States are offering postponed accounting and where it is available, the conditions for its use vary. It’s therefore essential to consider this to maximise cashflow.
There are many challenges to trading between the EU and the UK and goods can no longer move freely as they need to clear customs. Planning is therefore essential to ensure that goods can reach their destination without delay and commercial relationships do not suffer. Once the goods have reached their destination, it is necessary to consider the subsequent VAT treatment which needs to be done on a country by country basis especially for B2B supplies as rules can vary.
Keen to know how Brexit and the EU-UK Trade Cooperation Agreement will impact your VAT compliance obligations? Download our Brexit and VAT whitepaper or watch our recent webinar Brexit and VAT: Protect your valuable supply chains and minimise costly disruptions to find out more
The EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) was finally agreed on 24 December 2020. A week before the end of the transition period. Fully implemented into UK law, but the TCA remains provisional. It needs to be ratified in the European Parliament. Therefore it applies on a provisional basis until 28 February 2021.
The TCA covers several areas in addition to trade between the EU and UK dealing with investment, competition, State aid, maintaining a level playing field, fisheries and data protection. It was some of these areas that proved to be the most difficult to resolve during the negotiations.
The TCA provides for trade in goods between the UK and the EU to be on a zero tariff, zero quota basis. However, only if the goods meet the appropriate rules of origin. This reflects the reality that the TCA is not a replacement for the Customs Union. The Customs Union meant that once goods were in free circulation in the EU, they could move from one Member State to another without further payment of customs duty.
The TCA is different, and the origin of the goods is key. There are specific rules on determining origin and a system of self-certification is in place. For example, if goods are of Chinese origin, they won’t be covered by the TCA. So would be subject to whatever rate of customs duty applies in the EU when exported from Great Britain to the EU. This is in addition to customs duty that would apply in the UK based on the UK Global Tariff unless there was the application of an appropriate suspensive relief on arrival into the UK.
The TCA also covers mutual assistance around VAT. These mutual assistance provisions may have an impact on the requirement for UK companies to appoint a fiscal representative in those countries where it’s required. However, until Member States formally change their requirements, it’s important that businesses meet their legal obligations as they currently stand.
Failure to appoint a fiscal representative when required may result in penalties imposed for not trading compliantly. In some cases could interrupt commercial transactions to the detriment of both the company and its customers.
The mutual assistance provisions may also have an impact on the requirement for UK companies to appoint an intermediary for the purposes of the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS). IOSS is proposed for implementation on 1 July 2021. The EU has a mutual assistance agreement with Norway. This means that Norwegian companies don’t need to appoint an intermediary for the purposes of IOSS. It’s hoped that the EU will extend this to companies in Great Britain.
The VAT position of trade between the UK and the EU was largely known before the TCA was signed and is therefore not significantly impacted by the TCA. It was the UK ceasing to be a Member State and leaving the EU VAT area which determined the changes.
As a result, many businesses were able to take proactive action rather than awaiting the finalisation of the TCA. If a business did not take action to ensure ongoing VAT compliance, it’s essential to take the appropriate steps now. Furthermore, if businesses had a Brexit action plan, it is imperative that it’s implemented fully to remove risk.
The presence of a Customs border between the UK and EU means that goods cannot flow freely as they did in the past. Taking the appropriate steps to allow the goods to move is not the end of the story. Ensuring VAT compliance once the goods have arrived in the EU is essential. As is recognising that not all Member States have the same requirements.
All businesses should review their current trading arrangements. Business need to ensure they are compliant and also that they’re trading in the most efficient way.
Keen to know how Brexit will impact your VAT compliance obligations? Download our Brexit and VAT whitepaper or watch our recent webinar Brexit and VAT: Protect your valuable supply chains and minimise costly disruptions to find out more.
Recently, we outlined the need for speed in understanding fiscal representation obligations. Post-Brexit, there are many ramifications for businesses operating cross-border. Among them the requirement to appoint a fiscal representative to register for VAT purposes .
As outlined in our previous piece, there is a limit on tax authorities’ capacity to authorise new fiscal representation applications.
Whether your fiscal representation for VAT post-Brexit planning is in full swing or just beginning; there are considerations with regards VAT registrations, reporting and recovery to be aware of.
In most EU nations, the act of securing fiscal representation doesn’t affect changes to a company’s VAT number. However, tax authorities will require up to date and comprehensive information for the fiscal representation process and may require resubmission of information already provided for the original VAT registration application.
But what is likely to undergo significant change is the nature of transactions taking place post-Brexit. While in principle, businesses report transactions in the same way as before, the transactions carried out could change because of Brexit. So, any fiscal representatives appointed will need an in depth understanding of a business’ accounting processes and procedures.
There is no change to the requirement to file additional declarations by the appointment of a fiscal representative. However, as noted above, transactions may change post-Brexit, and these changes will impact on the requirement for additional declarations. Businesses will need to fully review and contingency plan for this potential impact, considering their supply chains and any UK – EU transactions, in addition to potential reporting requirements.
A question on the top of the agenda for many is how VAT registrations will be affected by Brexit. Much depends on the business in question – not all UK businesses will have a VAT registration requirement in the EU Member States post-Brexit. Those who are not required to register may find that VAT in the EU is incurred, and thus must be recovered to reduce costs.
This is where things get more complex. To recover VAT in some countries where there is not requirement to be VAT registered, fiscal representation is required. The process for appointing fiscal reps and the documentation needed varies nation to nation. But broadly speaking, recovery will be under the 13th Directive. Aside from the 13th Directive’s lengthy paper based systems, the issue here is likely to be reciprocity. The principle of reciprocity means that a Member State can deny recovery of VAT if the country of the claimant doesn’t allow recovery by businesses from the Member State where the VAT is incurred. Each Member State applies reciprocity in different ways which adds to the complexity. We’re in uncharted territory here, as so far 13th Directive claims haven’t been made by UK companies. It’s essential that companies operating in EU nations review local VAT positions before incurring significant amounts of VAT.
In conclusion, fiscal representatives are likely to be an ongoing feature of cross border EU-UK trade. Though fiscal representatives themselves are unlikely to mean that VAT registration and reporting change, Brexit itself may alter transactions and their reporting requirements. Where businesses should invest time and effort is in considering recovery in the nations that they operate in. Significant changes to how VAT recovery occurs may take place.
Keen to know how Brexit will impact your VAT compliance obligations? Download our recent webinar Brexit and VAT: Protect your valuable supply chains and minimise costly disruptions to find out more.