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Commission’s (TAXUD) Strategic Plan 2016

By May 24, 2016July 10th, 2021No Comments

The European Commission’s DG TAXUD has published its Management Plan 2016 as well as its Strategic Plan 2016-2020. Both documents provide indications and timelines for upcoming DG TAXUD action…

DG TAXUD publishes its Management Plan 2016 and Strategic Plan 2016-2020 – 14 March 2016

The European Commission’s DG TAXUD has published its Management Plan 2016 as well as its Strategic Plan 2016-2020. Both documents provide indications and timelines for upcoming DG TAXUD action, and as such enable to anticipate what can be expected. The highlights from the Management Plan include:

  • Q2 2016: Commission will publish a resolution on arbitration for tax dispute resolution;
  • September 2016: Commission will organise a conference on direct taxation and investments, possibly together with the IMF;
  • October 2016: the Commission will publish its simplification package for SMEs, including a proposal on the SME scheme;
  • Q4 (November) 2016: the Commission will publish its proposal for CCCTB;
  • December 2016: the Commission will publish studies on the functioning of the MOSS and the extension of the VAT web portal;
  • December 2016: the Commission will publish its proposal for VAT on e-commerce;
  • Q4 2016: the Commission will publish a feasibility study on an EU Tax Identification Number (TIN);
  • End-2016: the Commission will publish a strategy to enhance tax administrations’ capacity and ability to fight against fraud;
  • End-2016: the Commission will publish its 2016 VAT gap report;
  • End-2016: the Commission will publish a feasibility study on a mandatory “split payment system” in combination with a generalised reverse charge mechanism on VAT.

The Strategic Plan in turn indicates the following:

  • The Commission will ensure that companies currently abusing loopholes in the system will need to readapt their tax policy strategies to the new context where aggressive planning is no longer tolerated. Tax advisors will play a crucial enabling role in supporting all businesses during the transition;
  • The Commission will use the European Semester to promote “growth friendly and fairer tax systems”, with particular focus on concrete steps Member States can take to reduce tax fraud, evasion and avoidance;
  • The Commission will ask Member States to do the “necessary reforms” in their tax systems to simplify them and make them more growth-friendly;
  • 2017: the Commission will Issue its assessment on state of play on cooperation between Member States in tax audits;
  • 2017: the Commission will publish a study how national tax incentives for venture capital and business angels can foster investment into SMEs and start-ups and promote best practice across Member States.

Every Commission DG prepares and publishes a multiannual Strategic Plan and a Management Plan for the upcoming year. Their purpose is to translate the political priorities and the strategic objectives of the Commission into concrete operations, and to provide an instrument enabling the DG’s management to plan, follow up and report on the activities and resources of the DG, and to ensure that resources are aligned with objectives.

Sources:
Management Plan 2016: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/synthesis/amp/doc/taxud_mp_2016_en.pdf
Strategic Plan 2016-2020: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/synthesis/amp/doc/taxud_sp_2016-2020_en.pdf