The Austrian government announced that it will halve the VAT rate on essential food items as part of its fiscal policy. The change is expected to provide relief to consumers on basic groceries. No further details on the effective date or specific rates were disclosed in the article.

Poland’s draft law seeks to align the third‑party liability provisions for capital company tax arrears (art. 116 of the Tax Ordinance) with EU Court of Justice rulings C‑277/24 (Adjak) and C‑278/24 (Genzyński). It proposes new rights for third parties to challenge tax determinations and access case files, and to clarify board member responsibilities. The draft is slated for presentation to the Sejm in the first or second quarter of 2026.

The EU Official Gazette published a preliminary ruling from the ECJ on Jan. 12, 2026, concerning Croatian VAT rules for intra‑community supplies of goods. The case involved a Croatian trading company supplying oak logs to Slovenia and claiming a VAT exemption, which was challenged for lack of documentation under Article 45a of Regulation 282/2011. The ECJ held that Directive 2006/112/EC and Regulation 282/2011 must be interpreted accordingly.

Effective 1 January 2026, Romania expands the RO e‑Factura reporting scope to include supplies to non‑resident VAT‑registered customers, shifts the invoice transmission deadline from five calendar days to five working days, and removes several compliance notification requirements. Suppliers using a personal numeric code (CNP) that started before 15 January 2026 must register in the mandatory RO e‑Factura Register, while VAT‑on‑receipt scheme businesses remain exempt from notification obligations until 30 September 2026.

The Brazilian Federal Government will reduce tax incentives for several federal taxes starting in 2026. Corporate Income Tax and Import Tax incentives will be cut from 1 January 2026, while other taxes such as PIS/Pasep, Cofins, CSLL, IPI, and employer social security contributions will see reductions from 1 April 2026. The changes affect a broad range of tax regimes and are subject to complementary legislation.

The Bahamas Prime Minister announced that VAT on unprepared food will be removed, effective 1 April 2026, bringing the rate to 0%. The announcement also includes a reduction of the overall VAT rate from 12% to 10%, aiming to ease the cost of living for Bahamian households.

Germany has permanently lowered the VAT rate on food served in restaurants, cafes and fast‑food outlets from 19% to 7% effective 1 January 2026, while drinks remain taxed at 19%. Receipts will now show separate VAT lines for food and beverages.

Egypt's tax authority announced a new facilitation package that reduces the VAT rate on medical devices to 5%, fully exempts inputs for kidney dialysis equipment, extends VAT payment suspension up to four years for industrial machinery, and exempts transit services under customs supervision. It also standardizes the 14% VAT rate on soap and industrial detergents for household use, allowing input deductions. These measures aim to support healthcare, manufacturing, and transit trade.

Austria is modernising its fiscal cash register regime from 2026, raising the small‑seller exemption threshold to €45,000, making the 15‑product‑group recording rule permanent, and allowing optional digital receipts from 1 October 2026. Paper receipts remain available on request, while core security features such as secure recording, digital signatures and QR‑coded receipts stay unchanged.

Finland’s Parliament approved a bill on 28 November 2025 that introduces a 13.5% VAT rate on specified services, goods, and imports of collectibles and antiques. The new rate and related provisions take effect on 20 December 2025, covering all tax obligations from that date, including intra‑community acquisitions. The legislation will enter into force on the same day.

The Dutch Ministry of Finance has suspended its plan to impose a €2 customs handling fee on non‑EU parcel imports under €150, pending further EU action. An interim €3 customs levy will take effect from 1 July 2026, and the EU will remove the €150 de‑minimis exemption in 2028. The Dutch motion has passed the House but awaits Senate approval, with a final decision expected soon.

The EU has agreed an interim €3 customs levy for parcels that will take effect on 1 July 2026. Romania and Italy have already implemented national levies of 25 RON (~€5) and €2 respectively for low‑value parcels, while the Netherlands and France remain in proposal stages. The move aims to curb VAT and customs fraud on low‑value e‑commerce shipments.

The Bahamian government has announced that from 1 April 2026, VAT on unprepared food will be reduced from 5% to 0%, covering items such as fresh produce, baby food, snacks and frozen foods. Additionally, owner‑occupied duplexes and triplexes will qualify for a residential property tax exemption, expanding earlier property‑tax relief measures.

Serbia’s new e‑invoicing law, adopted in Official Gazette No. 109/2025, introduces mandatory e‑invoicing for retail sales to corporate cardholders and public sector entities, postpones pre‑filled VAT returns to 2027, and requires internal invoices to be generated in the SEF system. The Ministry of Finance also released SEF version 3.14.0 with new validation and reporting features.

Malaysia has postponed the rollout of its MyInvois e‑invoicing system for businesses with annual turnover between RM1 million and RM5 million, moving the implementation date to 2027. The change reflects a shift in the national e‑invoicing roadmap and raises the threshold for mandatory e‑invoicing. Businesses in this turnover bracket must prepare to comply by 2027.

China’s Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration announced a phased rollback of the 13% export VAT rebate for lithium‑ion batteries, cutting it to 6% on April 1 2026 and abolishing it by January 1 2027. The move has spurred a sharp rise in lithium prices and a front‑loading of exports, reshaping the global battery supply chain and leveling the playing field for non‑Chinese manufacturers.

The Isle of Man Gazette published the VAT (Repayment Interest) Order 2025, amending the VAT Act 1996. The order clarifies that no repayment interest will be charged on VAT refunds issued within 30 days from the later of the return filing, claim submission, or assessment notification. The order took effect on 6 November 2025.

Turkey’s Presidential Decree No. 10813, published 7 January 2026, abolishes simplified customs declarations for B2C e‑commerce shipments, effective 6 February 2026. All shipments, even those valued at €30 or less, must now use regular customs procedures, with specific exceptions for medicines and food supplements under prescription. The decree also imposes fixed customs duties of 30% for EU and 60% for non‑EU shipments for certain products and adds a 20% Special Consumption Tax where applicable.

China’s Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation announced that the VAT export tax rebate for photovoltaic (PV) and other products will be cancelled from April 2024. The rebate for battery products will be reduced from 9% to 6% from April 2024 until the end of 2026, after which it will be fully cancelled in 2025. The move aims to rationalise overseas prices, reduce trade friction and ease the national financial burden.

The China State Council adopted a new VAT Implementing Regulation on 19 December 2025, which came into force on 1 January 2026. The regulation, comprising 54 articles across six chapters, provides detailed enforcement procedures and clarifications on taxable goods, services, intangible assets, taxable persons, VAT rates, zero‑rated and exempt supplies, tax calculation, and cross‑border collection responsibilities, complementing the updated VAT law enacted in December 2024.