Intra-Community deliveries | Triangular transactions: VAT "Quick Fixes" come into effect on January 1st 2020 – take early action!
LBG Austria - Summary: The European Commission is planning far-reaching VAT reforms to reduce tax losses and fraud, administrative burden and complexity in taxation. In preparation for this, so-called "quick fixes" were decided as the first stage of the reform, with important changes coming into effect on January 1st 2020.
Tightening of tax exemption of intra-Community supplies
As of January 1st 2020, the existence of a valid UID number of the purchaser and the correct inclusion of the intra-Community delivery in the summary notification (ZM) by the supplier are substantive requirements for the tax exemption of intra-Community deliveries. The supplier can only treat the delivery to another EU country as tax-exempt if the acquirer of an asset communicates to the supplier his valid UID number, which comes from an EU member state other than that in which the transport / dispatch of the goods is carried out. In addition, the submission of a correct summary notification (ZM) by the supplier is a precondition for the tax exemption. In order to benefit from the tax exemption for intra-Community supplies, the supplier must also prove that the goods actually reached the rest of the Community (so-called documentary evidence).
Simplification of series transactions
The criteria for determining the taxable place of deliveries within a so-called series transaction should be standardized throughout the EU. In the case of a series transaction, several deliveries are consecutively made in succession by three or more parties, with the goods physically coming directly from the first operator in the row to the last customer. In such a series, the movement of goods can only be assigned to one delivery ("moving delivery") and only this delivery can be tax-exempt as intra-Community delivery. All other deliveries in the series are normally taxable as "dormant delivery" either in the country of departure or destination. The quick fixes now contain a rule determining a uniform assignment of the “moving delivery”.
Timely planning and preparation necessary
In order to be able to handle your business smoothly in the future as well, we recommend that you check the company-internal processes, especially the UIDs of your suppliers, with regard to the changes that apply from January 1st 2020 and adapt them if necessary. Furthermore, cross-border deliveries should be examined whether there are series transactions or whether the new developments mentioned necessitate any adjustments in accounting / accounting.
Contact & Advice: This information naturally shows basic aspects of the topic - for completeness and correctness no guarantee can be given despite careful preparation. LBG will gladly advise you in your individual situation. Please contact one of our 31 Austria-wide locations (www.lbg.at) or welcome@lbg.at - we will gladly bring you together with one of our experts, who is very familiar with your request.