The European Commission has launched a public consultation to help identify ways to simplify the Value-Added Tax (VAT) payments on cross-border e-commerce transactions in the EU.
This consultation is also part of the ongoing assessment of the new rules for VAT payments on cross-border telecommunications, broadcasting and electronic services which came into force last January. Read More »
The Israeli Tax Authorities (ITA) issued draft guidelines titled “Activities of Foreign Companies through the Internet” (hereafter the “Draft Circular”) for comments. Read More »
On 6 May the EU Commission announced its strategy for Digital Single Market. The aim is to further simplify and harmonize the applicable VAT and legislative rules to e-biz and e-commerce (in particular re telecommunication and copyrights) as well as to reduce the administrative burden companies are facing in this field.
The ultimate goal is to remove the barriers which currently hinder EU based companies to grow and to be (more) competitive with the world’s Internet giants. The strategy also wants to help European customers to shop on-line form other EU countries as easy and simple as it their home countries. The VAT related initiatives of the strategy focuses on:Read More »
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts determined that electronically downloaded software licensed by a Utah corporation to Texas customers constituted physical presence in Texas sufficient to establish sales and use tax nexus. According to the decision, nexus was established because the software was characterized as tangible personal property and the Utah corporation retained all property rights in the software, which was physically present and generating revenue in Texas.Read More »
In a recent decision issued for an online Bitcoin trading platform, the Belgian tax authorities have confirmed that the trading of Bitcoins and other virtual currencies is similar to the activity of an intermediary and should therefore fall under the exemption included in the Belgium VAT Code for “negotiation concerning deposits, current accounts, debts, cheques and other negotiable instruments but excluding debt collection” . As a result, the activities should be at this moment treated as exempt from VAT. Read More »
Local Tax Authority in Lodz in Poland announced that the sale of mined bitcoins is subject to 23% VAT. The activity of mining is being seen as service by the local tax authority and for this service the place of service is where the customer is located. Therefore for local sales the VAT apply and has to be charged. For sales to foreign customers it is not needed to charge VAT. Read More »
PwC Switzerland ITX
Michaela Merz 