Vat In A Day

This book serves as an introduction to the currect EU Value Added Tax system. It provides a consice overview of the working of EU VAT and the concepts and rationale behind it. The goal of this book is to enable the reader obtaining a basic knowledge of the EU VAT system, or to refresh his or hers memory within a day's work. Hence, this book is titled: 'Vat in a day'. Even though the book covers all aspects of the EU Vat system, some elements are discussed in more details than others. Didactically sound choices were made as regards the depth at which the various subjects in this book are discussed. Nevertheless, the book provides an account of the key providers in the VAT Directive and the key case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the field of VAT.

Value added tax (VAT) is often considered the most important development in tax of the past century. Although generally successful – it can account for a large proportion of state revenue – it has spawned its own set of complex problems that require a corresponding set of legal skills to resolve. This book, by systematically drawing out the rules from a thorough analysis of the VAT Directive and as good as every VAT case ever decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) (850 in all), is the ideal day-to-day guide to European VAT law. The rules – and their applications – for such VAT matters as the following are clearly described with examples: distinction between supplies of goods and services for VAT purposes; bundled supplies; intra-Community acquisitions; when tax liability starts and ends; place of supply rules and their exceptions; exemptions in the real estate, finance, and insurance sectors; import and export exemptions; right to deduct VAT; abuse of rights; the problem of incorrect invoices; refund of VAT; and special schemes. An extensive keyword register facilitates navigating the book. Developed from the author’s daily practice as a tax counsel, this book will be of immeasurable value to tax consultants, lawyers, in-house counsel, tax authority officials, and taxation academics, not only in Europe but beyond.

Parties to cross-border disputes arising anywhere in the vast Portuguese-speaking world – a community of more than 230 million in a space that offers a wide array of investment opportunities across four continents – increasingly seek Portugal as their preferred seat of arbitration. A signatory to all relevant international conventions, Portugal has proven to be an ‘arbitration-friendly’ jurisdiction. This volume is the first and so far only book in English that provides a thorough, in-depth analysis of international arbitration law and practice in Portugal. Its contributing authors are among the most highly regarded legal names in the country, including scholars, arbitrators, and practitioners. The authors describe how international arbitration proceedings are conducted in Portugal, what cautions should be taken, and what procedural strategies may be suitable in particular cases. They provide insightful answers to questions such as the following: What matters can be submitted to arbitration under Portuguese law? What are the validity requirements for an arbitration agreement? How do the State courts interact with arbitration proceedings and what is the attitude of such courts toward international arbitration? What are the rules governing evidentiary matters in arbitration? How is an arbitration tribunal constituted? How are arbitrators appointed? How may they be challenged? How can an international arbitral award be recognized and enforced? How does the Portuguese legal system address the issue of damages and what specific damages are admitted? How are the costs of arbitration proceedings estimated and allocated? The book includes analyses of arbitration related to specific fields of the law, notably sports, administrative, tax, intellectual property rights (especially regarding reference and generic medicines), and corporate disputes. Each chapter provides, for the topics it addresses, an examination of the applicable laws, rules, arbitration practice, and views taken by arbitral tribunals and state courts as well as those of the most highly considered scholars. As a detailed examination of the legal framework and of all procedural steps of an arbitration in Portugal, from the drafting of an arbitration agreement to the enforcement of an award, this book constitutes an invaluable resource for parties involved in or considering an international arbitration in this country. The guidance that it seeks to provide in respect of any problem likely to arise in this context can be useful to arbitrators, judges, academics, and interested lawyers.

Most major economies use a value added tax (VAT) which is a derivation of the French 1954 taxe sur la valeur ajoutée. The initial imposition of VAT in France and its spread around the world have been driven by economic reasons. This book focuses on one of these economic triggers: the neutrality of VAT as regards the functioning of the economy. It demonstrates that the reason VAT was chosen in France and why thereafter it spread around the world was because it offered the possibility to collect governmental revenue while allowing the economic forces of the market to interplay without being adversely affected. The prerequisite conditions for the existence of VAT neutrality are therefore identified herein along with an overview of the VAT mechanism, demonstrating that the concept of neutrality is built into the VAT system in a manner that allows for the preservation of the natural functioning of the market. After the definition of VAT neutrality is set forth, the elements that comprise VAT neutrality are tested against the realities on the ground and the issues that infringe the neutrality of VAT are identified and analysed. In conclusion, remedies for these issues are being sought by a review of the causes of infringement of VAT neutrality in the perspective of selected proposals for modified VAT systems. These proposals include redesignating the place where VAT is levied and improving VAT collection. Ultimately, the proposed solution has recourse to the roots of VAT together with the most advanced technological tools available to give back to VAT the power to levy revenue while letting the economic forces of the market interplay without instigating any adverse influence.

Quick Reference to European VAT Compliance provides the information necessary to deal with common compliance challenges via a format that allows readers to readily locate pertinent guidance when needed. This highly practical reference distills the problem-solving process by anticipating the relevant challenges and providing reliable help. Quick Reference to European VAT Compliance consists of two distinct sections: - An overview of how the various VAT systems in Europe work, with particular attention paid to compliance issues; and - Detailed, country-specific VAT compliance profiles for each EU Member State plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Authored by the experts at Deloitte's Global Tax Center (Europe), Quick Reference to European VAT Compliance is an indispensable tool for professionals seeking to proactively manage VAT compliance.