The French Supreme Court reaffirmed that contractual arrangements determine the recipient of services for VAT purposes in the American Express case. It ruled that issuer commissions are considered services supplied to a non‑EU recipient, allowing the French entity to recover VAT on those commissions. The decision reinforces the importance of economic substance and contractual reality in VAT treatment.

The May 2026 Global VAT Guide compiles key VAT developments across 12 jurisdictions, highlighting new compliance requirements such as Belgium’s bank account change, Poland’s updated JPK_VAT guidance, and Bulgaria’s removal of the reverse charge clause for goods with installation. It also notes updates to Germany’s Form USt 1 TN and the launch of Belgium’s SME ePortal for quarterly returns. The guide serves as a concise reference for businesses to stay compliant with upcoming regulatory changes.

The article outlines a compliance roadmap for UK firms expanding globally, highlighting the need to register for VAT in each jurisdiction, including Germany's €1 threshold and the EU's ViDA initiative. It details penalties for non‑registration, the adoption of PEPPOL e‑invoicing, and the launch of the Crypto‑Asset Reporting Framework in 2026. UK firms are urged to map their nexus, maintain accurate digital audit trails, and integrate tax engines compatible with EU standards.

The article examines a case where an Italian company offers a €5,000 discount to a German customer in exchange for advertising services, treating the discount as a VAT swap under Article 11 of DPR 633/1972. It discusses whether the discount should be applied as a reduction on the supply invoice or issued as a separate credit note, and explains the reverse charge mechanism in Italy.

A buyer-side framework for tax, compliance and IT leaders preparing for global e-invoicing mandates that now bring penalties from day one. The five sequential steps are: map the mandate landscape (countries, transaction types, deadlines, urgency tiers), understand the compliance model behind each country (post-audit, decentralised/Peppol, real-time reporting, centralised platform, clearance), define technical requirements starting with ERP integration, formats and data residency, match vendors to your specific requirements through structured scoring rather than manual shortlisting, and validate the shortlist through peer intelligence on country-and-model-specific implementations. The article emphasises matching vendor architectural strengths to your country mix rather than chasing 'global coverage' claims.

Brazil has introduced a dual VAT model replacing PIS, COFINS, ICMS, and ISS with CBS and IBS. Nonresident sellers must register for CBS/IBS, issue electronic invoices, and comply with split payment rules from August 2026, with CBS fully operational at 8.8% from 2027 and full implementation by 2033.

EU finance ministers endorsed an amendment to Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 that will allow OLAF and EPPO to query Member State VAT systems, but the amendment restricts access to read‑only, case‑by‑case searches and bans bulk extraction or AI analysis. The measure is pending Parliament approval, likely in July 2026, and will be routed through VIES, CESOP and Eurofisc channels.