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Taxation and Customs Union

Commission guidelines on VAT

Commission guidelines on VAT are explanatory notes and other documents produced by the Commission services in order to provide practical and informal guidance about how particular provisions of EU VAT law should be applied.

Guidelines issued by the Commission’s Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union only contain practical and informal guidance about how EU law should be applied and are not legally binding.

They do not replace VAT Committee guidelines or Implementing Regulations, both of which have their own roles in the legislative process.

List of published Commission guidelines on VAT

Title and linkVAT provisions explainedDate published / reviewed
Guide to the VAT One Stop ShopThe Union One-Stop Shop (OSS) is the electronic portal businesses can use to comply with their VAT obligations on e-commerce sales, within the EU to consumers, from 1 July 2021.March 2021

Explanatory Notes on the VAT e-commerce rules

 

From 1 July 2021, a number of amendments to Directive 2006/112/EC (the VAT Directive) will start to apply affecting the VAT rules applicable to cross-border business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce activitiesDecember 2020

Explanatory Notes on the EU VAT changes in respect of call-off stock arrangements, chain transactions and the exemption for intra-Community supplies of goods (“2020 Quick Fixes”)

8 APRIL 2021
Explanatory Notes 2020 - Quick fixes

 

Rules entering into force on 1 January 2020 on call-off stock arrangements, chain transactions, the exemption for intra-Community supplies of goods and the proof of transport for the purposes of that exemption20 December 2019
8 APRIL 2021
Explanatory Notes on the place of supply rules for services connected with immovable property

 

Place of supply rules for services connected with immovable property26 October 2015
Explanatory notes on the place of supply rules for telecommunications, broadcasting and electronic services that entered into force in 2015Place of supply rules for telecom, broadcasting and e-services3 April 2014
8 APRIL 2021
Guide to the VAT mini One Stop Shop

 

Mini One Stop Shop scheme for suppliers of telecom, broadcasting and e-services23 October 2013
8 APRIL 2021
Additional guidelines – auditing under the MOSS
Auditing under Mini One Stop Shop13 June 2014

Explanatory notes on the main VAT invoicing rule changes as from 1 January 2013

8 APRIL 2021
Explanatory notes VAT invoicing rules (Council Directive 2010/45/EU)

 

Invoicing rules5 October 2011