EU fails to agree again e-book reduced VAT

At today’s EU meeting of finance ministers, ECOFIN, member states failed again to agree to allow the reduced or nil VAT rates on electronic books and publications.

The proposal was last discussed at ECOFIN in June 2017, and no progress was made.

The Czech representation again blocked the measure.  Its position was linked to other countries earlier blocking an anti-VAT fraud measure, the generalised reverse charge.

Several countries, including Sweden and Germany, expressed their frustration at the Czechs holding other member states to ransom on e-books.

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