EU countries lost €137 billion in VAT revenues in 2017
EU countries lost €137 billion in Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues in 2017 according to a study released by the European Commission on 5 September 2019.
The so-called 'VAT Gap' - or the overall difference between the expected VAT revenue and the amount actually collected - has reduced somewhat compared to previous years but remains very high.
During 2017, collected VAT revenues increased at a faster rate of 4.1% than the 2.8% increase of VAT Total Tax Liability. As a result, the overall VAT Gap in the EU Member States saw a decrease in absolute values of about EUR 8 billion or 11.2% in percentage terms.
Details
- Publication date
- 4 September 2019
- Author
- Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union