Amazon Voices Strong Support for Common EU VAT System

Value-added reporting systems in the EU need to be harmonized to make compliance less complicated, Sophie Claessens, director of European Union public policy for Amazon, said Tuesday at an EU tax symposium.

VAT systems in EU countries are “very complicated and fragmented,” and greater harmonization should be introduced, Claessens said. There is a “tendency of countries sticking to their known but painful systems,” she added.

Helena Alves Borges, director-general of the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority, said the country is wary that EU e-invoicing proposals could require it to modify its value-added tax reporting system.

Portugal began to introduce VAT ...