Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-10-13-Speech-4-025-000"
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"en.20111013.3.4-025-000"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, this report by Mr Casa is good. The principal question is why value-added tax (VAT) in the EU is being reviewed. Firstly, there is a need to make it compatible with the single market. The more systems and varieties of VAT there are, the less fluid the market. Reforming VAT encourages e-commerce, focuses competition on value and on the basic price of goods and services rather than on tax differences, combats fraud and ensures the confidence that is so vital, especially in cross-border transactions, thereby improving the economy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and reducing administrative burdens.
What other supporting measures are already under way in the single market that could be linked to VAT? One measure is a simple, clear and transparent digital support mechanism; namely, measure 7 of the single market. Measure 5 relates to services and the need to review legislation on the standardisation and implementation of the Services Directive. Measure 9 is aimed at removing tax obstacles and explicitly reviewing the VAT system and making VAT the same for online and face-to-face commerce, which we have all experienced when ordering books.
There are two fundamental reasons for the pressures to reform VAT. The first of these is the economic crisis. More revenue is needed and, in some countries, this is likely to involve cutting income tax in order to promote economic development, and passing on this burden to VAT. The second major source of pressure is the ageing population, demographic ageing, and the trend from indirect taxation towards direct taxation, which is due to the reduction in the active population base.
It is necessary to rethink the balance between this direct and indirect taxation. Finally, we must reconcile subsidiarity with harmonisation in these reforms.
It is essential to restrict the range of variation in the standard VAT rate so that all of us can understand it better. Greater transparency is needed in setting the reduced VAT rate and its scope, and there needs to be a clear and widely publicised list of reduced rates. There is a need to study exemption thresholds for SMEs, in the knowledge that each exemption brings with it a procession of small- or large-scale fraud.
Finally, I welcome the Commission’s recent proposal to create European-level VAT."@en1
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