The article summarises recent VAT and customs duty changes across the EU, UK, Poland, Austria, Spain, Denmark, Nigeria, Gibraltar, Argentina and Ireland.

The Gambia The Gambia Revenue Authority has approved an electronic invoicing system for VAT and other taxes, effective from 22 June 2026. The system aims to improve compliance and modernise tax administration as part of the government's digitalisation agenda.

The UK’s HMRC announced several VAT developments in July 2026, including changes to the Capital Goods Scheme, digitisation of option to tax, a consultation on development land for social housing, and the adoption of Peppol for e-invoicing. From 29 July 2026, the CGS threshold for land, buildings and civil engineering works rises to £600,000 and computers are removed from the scheme, while a new online portal for option to tax will launch before year end.

UAE: The Ministry of Finance has extended the deadline for appointing an Accredited Service Provider to 30 October 2026, while the e-invoicing go-live date remains 1 January 2027. Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more must now plan for ASP selection and onboarding before the new deadline.

EU: The ViDA package, now EU law, introduces mandatory e-invoicing, platform VAT collection and a single VAT registration system effective from 14 April 2025. Key deadlines include 1 July 2030 for mandatory B2B e-invoicing, 1 January 2030 for platform VAT collection, and 1 July 2028 for OSS extension.

France's e-invoicing mandate will take effect on 1 September 2026, requiring all registered companies to issue and receive e-invoices and large and mid-sized firms to report electronically. The final technical guidelines from AFNOR and the AIFE's external specifications have been released, while the pilot phase shows low participation rates.

France's e-invoicing pilot program begins on 1 September 2026, with a voluntary testing phase from February to August 2026. The pilot allows businesses to test mandatory B2B e-invoicing and B2C/cross-border e-reporting before the mandatory deadline. Participation is voluntary but offers insight into data flow between trading partners, accredited platforms and tax authorities.