VATLive > Blog > Worldwide > World turns to VAT cuts on COVID-19 threat

World turns to VAT cuts on COVID-19 threat

  • Apr 19, 2021 | Richard Asquith

Keep up to date with the latest coronavirus pandemic VAT rate cuts with Avalara's Covid-19 VAT / GST rate cuts tracker. For free updates of this list, sign up to receive Avalara's free VAT newsletter.

Latest updates

  • Italy 14 Apr, e-cash register update delay till 1 Oct ; pre-filled VAT returns delayed to 2022
  • Hungary 13 Apr, real time invoice delay on extension for self-invoicing
  • Belgium 5 Apr, late VAT payment penalty interest reduced from 9.6% to 4%
  • Italy 29 Mar, pre-filled VAT returns delayed to 2022
  • China 25 Mar, cash-based VAT rate continues at 1% for 2021
  • Philippines 23 Mar, VAT refund deadline extended to 12 April
  • Portugal 20 Mar, extension of use of PDF's instead of new e-invoice obligations
  • Greece 15 Mar, e-books and e-ledgers delayed to 1 July 2021

Updates by region:

Europe

  • Italy 14 Apr, e-cash register update delayed till 1 Oct ; pre-filled VAT returns delayed to 2022
  • Hungary 13 Apr, real time invoice delay on extension for self-invoicing
  • Belgium 5 Apr, late VAT payment penalty interest reduced from 9.6% to 4%
  • Portugal 17 Mar, extension of use of PDF's instead of new e-invoice obligations
  • Greece 15 Mar, e-books and e-ledgers delayed to 1 July 2021
  • Greece 12 Mar - January VAT liability deadline has been extended to 31 May 2021.
  • Czech Republic 8 Mar, Feb and Mar returns and payments delayed till 15 Apr 2021
  • UK 3 Mar, 5% hospitality & tourism VAT rate extended till 30 Sept, then 12.5% till 30 April 2021
  • Ireland 26 Feb, standard VAT rate returns to 23% on 1 May 2021
  • Germany 16 Feb, annual VAT return delayed; extended restaurant VAT rate cut till Dec 2022
  • Cyprus 11 Feb, 3-month payment plan for Dec & Jan returns
  • Denmark 9 Feb, VAT loan scheme extended
  • Norway 3 Feb, VAT payment deferrals to 12 April
  • Iceland 3 Feb, penalties relaxtion late payments to Dec
  • Turkey 1 Feb, closed businesses get VAT payment suspension
  • Macedonia 29 Jan,Dec and Q4 VAT return delays
  • Netherlands 29 Jan, further 3-month VAT payment extension to 1 July 2021
  • Sweden 19 Jan, VAT bad debt relief on 2020 invoices over 3mths old
  • Spain 29 Dec, option to delay tax by small businesses for 6 months
  • Latvia 10 Dec, reextended fast VAT credit payments within 30 days
  • Slovenia 5 Dec, two-year VAT payment plans available
  • Germany 2 Dec, option to apply for VAT payment holiday into 2021
  • Austria 29 Nov, restaurant VAT rate cut extended to Dec 2021
  • Moldova 27 Nov, VAT rate cut on hospitality frorm 15% to 12% 2021
  • Bulgaria 23 Nov, cuts VAT on takeaway food to 9%
  • Romania 27 Oct, consultation on 12-month instalment plan VAT payments
  • Slovakia 20 Oct, VAT payments deferred until 1 Feb 2021
  • Albania 1 Oct, small businesses (14 million leks turnover) exempted from VAT
  • Finland 31 Aug, scraps plans to update VAT return
  • Poland 25 Aug, July return delayed. VAT rate cut postponed
  • Montenegro 10 Aug, cuts hotel and catering to 7% VAT till Aug 2021
  • EU confirms VAT e-commerce package 1 July 2021
  • Croatia 26 Jul, cuts VAT on food
  • Ireland 23 Jul, VAT cut to 21% until Feb 2021
  • Malta 21 Jul, Mar to Aug VAT payments delayed to May 2021
  • UK 8 Jul, UK Hospitality VAT rate cut from 20% to 5%
  • Ireland 3 Jul, potential tourism VAT cut; interest waiver on June and July VAT payments
  • German transition rules for the temporary VAT cut
  • Lithuania 27 June, 13th Directive reclaims delay. Has confirmed VAT payment delays or write-offs of up to one year. 
  • Poland 19 May, potential delay to SAF-T to 2021
  • Luxembourg 15 May, VAT penalties for late returns are reimposed. Businesses may apply for VAT payment deferment.
  • EU proposes delaying e-commerce VAT package to 1 July 2021
  • France 1 May, foreign VAT relaims extension. Delays exporter of record changes. Discounts on VAT payments for April and May. PDF and scanned invoices valid for VAT instead of paper.
  • Ukraine 30 April, VAT rate cuts. Ukraine will not charge late interest on VAT payments until after May 2020.
  • Russia 28 April, limited delays on Q1 VAT returns.
  • UK Jersey 31 March, postpones GST payments March to May.
  • Russia 29 March, tax payment deferrals for all small businesses, but not extended to VAT.
  • Estonia 23 March, is to provide a VAT payment holiday until 1 May. But further easements are promised.
  • Switzerland 23 March, offers VAT and customs payment holiday until the end of 2020.
  • EU VAT reclaims delays to deadlines across Europe.
  • Moldova VAT rate cut for COVID crisis.
  • Denmark delays on VAT for small and large businesses.
  • Jersey is to allow late Goods and Sales Tax payments.
  • EU Commission has suggested countries provide VAT payment holidays
  • Georgia is doubling funding for company VAT credit refunds.

North and Central America

  • United States 20 Nov, from Avalara in the U.S., the latest on states' sales tax measures.
  • Canada 28 Sep, BC PST refunds
  • Mexico 28 Sep, VAT credits refunded in 15 days instead of 40 days
  • Costa Rica 25 Jul, tourism exempted from VAT until July 2021
  • Mexico 1 May, speed VAT credits. 
  • Panama 20 April, delays VAT filings by 120 days.
  • Guatemala 29 March, allows late VAT returns.
  • Jamaica plans to cut its General Consumption Tax from 16.5% to 15%.

Middle East

  • Saudi Arabia 29 Jan,penalties on late payments wavied till June 2021
  • Israel 13 Jan, Nov and Dec return and payments delayed to 25 Jan
  • Oman 12 Oct, confirms implementation of 5% VAT 1 Apr 2021
  • Oman 7 Sep, VAT implementation delayed till Jan 2022
  • Bahrain 2 Sep, VAT payments from 1 Sept fordeferments taken between Mar and Aug
  • Lebanon 2 May, Q1 Value Added Tax return postponement
  • Palestine 3 May, VAT credit refunds and suspension of penalties.
  • UAE 22 April, offers delayed March VAT returns and payments till 28 May
  • Iran 9 April, delays VAT returns during COVID-19 crisis.

Africa

  • Ghana 14 Mar, proposal for 1% Heatlh Levy to be added to VAT
  • Senegal 7 Mar, hotels to enjoy nil-VAT rate until 31 Dec 2021 
  • Botswana 2 Feb, raises VAT to 14%
  • Uganda 25 Jan, exempts hotel and accomodation from VAT
  • Kenya 30 Nov, VAT cut to 14% to be reversed to 16% 31 Dec 2021
  • Nigeria 12 Nov, is delaying the VAT returns deadline.
  • South Africa 12 Nov, accelerated VAT credit refunds for small businesses
  • Zimbabwe 2 Nov, zero-rates tourism
  • Egypt 15 May, 3-month VAT payment holiday for tourism sector
  • Botswana 12 April, accelerated VAT credit repayments.
  • Tunisia 30 March, VAT credit accelerations.

Asia

  • China 25 Mar, cash-based VAT rate continues at 1% for 2021
  • Philippines 23 Mar, VAT refund deadline extended to 12 April
  • Japan 12 Mar, individuals' Consumption Tax filing delayed
  • India 10 Mar, further extension on annual GST returns to 31 March
  • Indonesia 9 Feb, rapid import VAT refunds for smaller businesses
  • Thailand 9 Jan, online filing delays of VAT returns between Feb and Jun
  • Taiwan 21 Jan, extending VAT filing and payment deadline to 17 Feb
  • Malaysia 24 Nov, considering reintroduction of GST
  • Sri Lanka 23 Nov, cut to import VAT rate
  • Vietnam 9 Nov, VAT payment delays; e-invoicing has been postponed.
  • Cambodia 2 Oct, delays mandatory e-filing of VAT returns till 1 Jan 2021
  • Singapore 31 Aug, confirms GST will not rise as planned in 2021
  • Philippines 3 Aug, 1-month extension on digital tax reporting
  • South Korea 31 Jul, proposes hotel VAT exemption extension to 31 Dec 2022
  • Pakistan 26 June, sales tax filing postponement. cut in sales tax for electronic cash registers
  • Kyrgyzstan 13 April, delays in VAT cash registers and e-invoicing.

Oceania

  • Fiji 21 Jul, VAT Monitoring System deferred to 2022. Service tax reduced to zero.
  • New Zealand 1 May, right to request GST filing, reporting period changes or payment delays. Limited help for businesses on Goods and Services Tax.
  • Australia 17 April, import GST relief.
  • Australia is offering speedy credits on Goods and Services liabilities.

South America

 
  • Venezuela 2 Jan, import VAT exemption extended till 30 Apr 2021
  • Bolivia 30 Dec, withdraws COVID tax support measures
  • Argentina 2 Dec, delay till end of Feb for mandated withholding VAT
  • Uruguay 3 Nov, hotel services zero-rated; 9% VAT on catering
  • Colombia 26 Oct, hotel and tourism VAT cuts to Dec 2021 proposal
  • Chile 7 Sep, automatic VAT credit refunds for qualifying businesses. delays mandatory e-receipts until 1 Jan 2021
  • Paraguay 28 Aug, 10% VAT for tourism until 30 Jun 2021
  • Brazil 21 Aug, ICMS payment delays till year end
  • Ecuador 10 Jul, extends VAT to foreign providers of digital services
  • Peru 19 May, up to 6 months' delay on VAT payments

Explore more content like this in our Building for COVID-19 recovery hub

Explore more content like this in our Brexit hub


VP Global Indirect Tax
Richard Asquith
VP Global Indirect Tax Richard Asquith
Richard Asquith is the former VP Global Indirect Tax at Avalara
VATlive newsletter