This thesis focuses upon VAT in the context of the Community's internal market. Its central aim is to prove that the current EU VAT system is incompatible with the concept of internal market as set out in the EC Treaty and interpreted by the Court of Justice. The study commences with an analysis of the concept of internal market, the main objective of which is to establish the basic legal framework for the proposed thesis. As part of this examination, it is demonstrated that the EC Treaty creates a temporally unlimited obligation for the Community to approve legislation with the aim of establishing and improving the functioning of the internal market. By analysis of existing EU VAT jurisprudence, it is argued that obstacles cannot be overcome through incremental developments emerging from the Court of Justice, but can only be resolved by fundamental and substantive legislative amendment.
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.
Tax integration within the European Union can take place in many ways. In this book, various instruments which the Member States and the European Union have available to attain tax integration are discussed and their mutual relationship is studied. The book includes a general report drafted by the editor and is divided into seven parts focusing on (i) Sources of EU law for integration in direct and indirect taxation, (ii) Soft law: Solution or disillusion? Limits?, (iii) Infringement procedures: Another way to move things further?, (iv) Comitology, (v) Relationship between primary and secondary EU law, (vi) VAT Directive tested against primary law, and (vii) Direct tax directives tested against primary law. The book is the outcome of the fourth annual conference of the GREIT (Group for Research on European and International Taxation).
Drawing on a series of EC policy areas that possess a cultural component, this book offers an encompassing and in-depth analysis of the integration of cultural considerations in EC law and action, assessing the impact of Article 151(4) EC in the process.
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.
Through the arguments for corporate tax harmonization in the EU and describing the current stage of this process, the legislative rules which are insufficient to solve the many problems implied by the proper functioning of the Single Market, are revealed. The book also exposes the issues involved in the consolidation of the corporate tax base.
Most VAT systems exclude public bodies from the scope of value added tax (VAT) systems. However, a movement to include public sector bodies within the GST system to some extent or even fully (as in New Zealand) is gaining momentum, and underlies the European Commission’s 2011 study on the treatment and economic impact of exemptions in the public interest. Whether the present EU treatment really is as bad as some of its critics suggest, and whether the New Zealand model really is so perfect that jurisdictions with exclusion models ought simply to replace these existing systems with a New Zealand style system: these are the questions which triggered this research and which form the basis for the critical analysis contained in this book. Using a system design point of view, the author focuses on VAT systems where exclusion or inclusion of public bodies are currently being applied and on how these models function. He presents an in-depth analysis of the major issues in this context, such as the treatment of public bodies as taxable persons, their right to deduct input VAT on acquisitions, and the treatment of the income of public bodies. Specific aspects examined [nclude the following: reallocation of funds and income vs. the production/distribution/consumption cycle; the concept of ‘merit goods’; bias to self-supply instead of contracting out; preference to integrate vertically in the supply chain; applicability of VAT to government regulatory services; tax cascading in the public goods and services context; administration and compliance burden in government agencies; interpretational and implementation difficulties in EU Member States; and VAT compensation schemes in the public sector context, and whether these constitute illegal State aid. The book concludes with an insightful discussion of what might be considered as ‘best practice’ in relation to both the exclusion and full tax models. Beyond its thorough discussion of the treatment of public bodies in various VAT systems, and in the EU VAT system in particular, this is the first book on how a GST/VAT system may be designed to best accommodate public bodies, and as such it is sure to be warmly welcomed by practitioners, academics, and policymakers as a valuable contribution to the debate on the relation between VAT and public sector activities.
Mutual recognition is generally forgotten in debates about new modes of governance, even though it is a particular powerful example. Its invention was crucial for the completion of the European Union’s single market, and in the late 1990s it was transferred to the field of Justice and Home Affairs. Outside of the EU, mutual recognition is also gaining in importance. This book discusses mutual recognition in the context of the debate on new modes of governance and analyzes its potential to solve governance problems, focusing on the preconditions it needs for its functioning (e.g. trust of the Member states), the positive implications of achieving coordination through it, as well as its negative side effects (e.g. the danger of a regulatory race to the bottom). Particular focus is on the contentious services directive as a prominent example of using mutual recognition. In addition, contributions look at the application of mutual recognition in the market for goods, in the area of Justice and Home Affairs, in tax policy, and in the World Trade Organization, so that the book achieves a comprehensive assessment of mutual recognition as a new mode of governance. This book was previously published as special issue of the Journal of European Public Policy.
The current European VAT legislation encompassing insurance and financial services, including intermediation thereof, dates back to the adoption of the Sixth VAT Directive in 1977. The definitions do not, however, encompass the current complexity of insurance and financial transactions. This has resulted in considerable confusion for fiscal authorities and for businesses when deciding upon the application of the VAT exemption. As the correct VAT treatment has a significant economic impact on businesses, a great number of cases have been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. This is also the reason why the European Commission presented its proposal for the future treatment of insurance and financial services, including intermediation thereof, in November 2007. The political process has not yet been finalised and if the Commission's proposal is agreed upon, the question of understanding the definitions still exists. This book deals with the exemption for intermediation of insurance and financial services within European VAT. This implies analysing the methods of interpretation applied by the Court of Justice of the European Union when interpreting the provisions regarding insurance and financial services. Furthermore, the current definitions for intermediation of insurance and financial services as provided for in the VAT Directive are analysed and conclusions are made in order to define a single concept of intermediation. These analyses are followed by various practical scenarios from case law of the Member States concerning intermediation of insurance and financial services. Finally, comments based on the analyses carried out are given on the European Commission's proposal for amending the VAT Directive and the accompanying Regulation regarding intermediation of insurance and financial services.
The value-added tax (VAT) has the potential to generate significant government revenue. Despite its intrinsic self-enforcement capacity, many tax administrations find it challenging to refund excess input credits, which is critical to a well-functioning VAT system. Improperly functioning VAT refund practices can have profound implications for fiscal policy and management, including inaccurate deficit measurement, spending overruns, poor budget credibility, impaired treasury operations, and arrears accumulation.This note addresses the following issues: (1) What are VAT refunds and why should they be managed properly? (2) What practices should be put in place (in tax policy, tax administration, budget and treasury management, debt, and fiscal statistics) to help manage key aspects of VAT refunds? For a refund mechanism to be credible, the tax administration must ensure that it is equipped with the strategies, processes, and abilities needed to identify VAT refund fraud. It must also be prepared to act quickly to combat such fraud/schemes.
