The G20, the OECD and the EU have taken several initiatives to improve transparency and exchange of information to combat tax avoidance and tax evasion, including VAT fraud. A coordinated international approach seems to be the only solution to effectively fight VAT fraud within the EU. An analysis of the developments in international cooperation, however, shows that Member States (MS) seem to underuse other means of international cooperation that exist besides the exchange of information. The exchange of information in its turn seems to be mainly used within the national context. The authors conclude that due to a lack of coherence in the 'control' systems of MS and due to the fact that 'coordination' does not always mean 'collaboration', MS still seem to address this 'European' problem mainly on a national level which does not lead to a substantial decrease of the level of VAT fraud (including a lower tax gap) within the EU.

Offering a comprehensive exploration of EU taxation law, this engaging Research Handbook investigates the associated legal principles in the context of both direct and indirect taxation. The important issues and debates arising from these general principles are expertly unpicked, with leading scholars examining the status quo as well as setting out a clear agenda for future research.

The world runs a trade surplus with itself: the reported values of exports exceed the reported values of imports. This is a logically impossible but well-known empirical fact. Less wellknown is the fact that, in recent years, more than 80 percent of the global surplus is a trade surplus that the EU has with itself. In this paper, we show that this EU self-surplus amounts to a striking 307 billion Euro in 2018. It persists in goods, services, and secondary income accounts. It also exists within the Euro Area, and is strongest between neighboring countries. Around the 2004 Eastern Enlargement, the EU self-surplus quadrupled. Balance of payments data from the United Kingdom appear highly distorted. We argue that these phenomena are not only due to measurement error. Rather, a large fraction of the EU's self-surplus puzzle seems related to fraud in value added tax. The resulting loss in tax income could amount to as much as 64 billion Euro per year.

With the growth of the digitalized economy, VAT on cross-border digital supplies has emerged as an important issue. Yet, views and practices regarding the application of the VAT on these supplies differ significantly across different jurisdictions. A lack of international VAT harmonization can cause double taxation or unintended double non-taxation, resulting in distortions and revenue losses. VAT in the Digital Era considers unilateral and multilateral options for the creation of an internationally coordinated VAT framework. Providing analysis of the status quo in key jurisdictions, the book explores the implications of the digitalized economy for the VAT systems across borders. It outlines possible approaches that can be taken to achieve a more consistent international VAT treatment of cross-border supplies, and the extent to which a multilateral solution would be preferable and achievable at the international level. Bringing together contributions from leading international voices in the VAT law and policy and international taxation fields, VAT in the Digital Era addresses current issues and proposes ways to coordinate VAT rules on cross-border digital supplies. This new book is essential reading for academics, researchers, governments, and other financial organisations involved with the world's most important indirect tax.

Missing Trader Intra-Community Fraud (also known as carousel fraud), where goods are repeatedly exported and imported with the EU, has caused a considerable loss of revenue In 2005/6 it is estimated the UK lost between £3-4.5 billion. This report looks both at some of the measure that have been taken to recoup some of this money and measures to stop fraud occurring. In addition it considers whether the Government's policies have imposed an unreasonable burden upon legitimate businesses within affected sectors. It concludes that not only are existing measures unsustainable, steps need to be taken to ensure innocent traders are not damaged. The government needs to work with Member States to implement a system of taxation of intra-Community transactions that will be less vulnerable to major fraud.