European Commission
Commission reportedly considering regulating tax advisers
EC is reportedly looking into regulating professional tax advisers on an EU wide basis in response to the Pandora Papers revelations of aggressive tax avoidance by wealthy and politically powerful individuals.
Regulating the conduct of advisers when they have breached professional ethics is difficult in the EU, where each of the 27 Member States has different — and in some cases non-existent — regulations governing the provision of tax advice, Law360 writes. The EC’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) is therefore investigating the possibility of creating an EU-wide framework and enforcement mechanism, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
European Parliament
ECON adopts draft report on 6th VAT Directive
ECON also adopted on 6 December its draft report on the Implementation of the 6th VAT Directive with 43 votes in favour, 4 votes against and 11 abstentions. The non-binding draft report was prepared by the MEP Olivier Chastel (RE/Belgium). As with the report on national tax reforms, a final vote in the EP’s Plenary is currently scheduled for 17 January.
Council
Council endorses major VAT rates changes in the EU
EU Member States unanimously adopted a major reform of EU’s VAT rates framework, at the 7 December finance ministers’ Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting. The Commission issued its original proposal in 2018.
These are some of the main elements of the agreed text:
- Member States will have more flexibility to choose the products or services to which they will apply reduced rates
- this flexibility is counterbalanced by provisions to “avoid the proliferation” of reduced rates, effectively by limiting their number
- the existing VAT derogations for some countries will be extended to all Member States to ensure equal treatment
- the Directive aligns with the European Green Deal’s objectives, with phasing out of reduced rates for the supply of fossil energy and the phasing in of reduced rates for environmental and health-related goods
- the rules are adapting to the digitalisation of the economy and the economy will be more responsive to “exceptional circumstances” such as a pandemic
EP still needs to provide its non-binding opinion, in the course of spring 2022.
Other news
COVID-19: Commission decides to extend customs and VAT waiver
Events
The Erasmus University in Rotterdam has launched a Post Master Program.
This Post Master EU VAT 2022 consists in two-weeks modules and will take place in March 2022.
The program for the studies is available here where you will find information about the topics and trainers.
