Brussels, 26/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - Taxation Commissioner Algirdas Semeta welcomed the strong support expressed by the plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday 26 February for the Commission proposal on the introduction of a standard VAT return (see EUROPE 10948) which could see the administrative costs of collecting VAT reduced by some €15 billion and increase collection of the tax.
With its adoption, by 572 votes to 20, with 20 abstentions, of the report by Czech Conservative Ivo Strejcek (ECR), the Parliament hailed the Commission's aim of improving VAT collection while, at the same time, cutting costs for tax authorities and payers, and took the view that the proposal provided a fair balance between the need to lighter the burden for companies and that of getting rid of obstacles to the proper functioning of the internal market. Submission by companies of tax information to tax authorities by means of a form, preferably electronic, comprising 26 standardised blocks of information will save everyone time, lessen the risk of error or enable easy correction and thus increase tax authorities' oversight capacity, said the rapporteur, who felt, nonetheless, that member states should be allowed to ask for additional information, should they wish, in relation to certain territories and regions or certain specific regimes that have been authorised exceptionally. His amendments underline that the standard return should help tackle fraud, including in cross-border transactions (in particular, “carousel”-type fraud) and stress that officials and tax-payers must have access to online assistance explaining the procedure to be followed to submit a return electronically. (FG)