The European Commission announced on Wednesday 15 May the launch of the Transaction Network Analysis tool (TNA), which will allow Member States to quickly exchange and jointly process VAT data in order to detect suspicious networks earlier (see EUROPE 11915/11).
“This new tool will increase the speed at which authorities can uncover and act on suspicious activity. But this progress does not lessen the need for deeper and more fundamental reform of the EU's VAT system”, said EU Taxation Commissioner Pierre Moscovici.
The tool will also allow for much more intensive cooperation between members of the EU's network of anti-fraud experts, Eurofisc, when it comes to jointly analysing information, so that “carousel” VAT fraud can be detected and stopped as quickly as possible, explains the Commission in a statement.
Its launch is timely, following revelations last week by a consortium of European media on “carousel-type” VAT fraud, which is estimated to cost the EU €50 billion each year (see EUROPE 12250/14).
Member States started using the tool on Wednesday. At a meeting on 14 and 15 May, anti-fraud officials from the Member States participating in the TNA agreed on how the tool will work and how the information collected will be used in the future, the Commission said. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)