MEPs are set to vote on 22 April on a proposal on the common system of value added tax as regards the rules on invoicing. The debate will be held at the plenary sitting on 21 April.
According to the Council, current EU provisions on VAT invoicing have led to a less-than-harmonised set of rules, on account of the many options that remain available to Member States. The aims of current provisions have therefore not been fully met. Furthermore, compliance with regulatory requirements has hindered the take-up of technologies that are necessary for the development of e-invoicing. The Commission estimates potential annual cost savings for businesses at up to EUR 18 billion if obstacles to e-invoicing in VAT rules were to be removed.
The draft directive sets out to ensure the acceptance by tax authorities of e-invoices under the same conditions as for paper invoices, and to remove legal obstacles to the transmission and storage of e-invoices. It also comprises measures to help tax authorities ensure that tax is paid so as to better tackle VAT fraud. These include establishing deadlines for the issuance of invoices, thus enabling speedier exchange of information on intra-EU supplies of goods and services.
Procedure File: Value added tax VAT: rules of invoicing (amend. VAT Directive 2006/112/EC)
