A leading global SaaS provider discovered that 10% of its customer tax IDs were missing or invalid, exposing over $9 million in potential annual VAT shortfalls. The article highlights gaps in the EU VIES system, varying validation frequency requirements across jurisdictions, and the operational benefits of automated tax ID validation.
More than $9 million in potential annual VAT shortfalls.
France 12%, Italy 17%, Portugal 61%, Poland 13%.
Verification is required for every transaction.
Between 10% and 20% of business IDs change in a single year.
Onboarding time dropped from seven hours to under five minutes, and 18% of tax IDs were flagged as invalid at collection.
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The Invoicing Hub · 2 days ago
EN 16931‑1, the EU e‑invoicing standard, is being updated to a mid‑2026 release that expands B2B functionality and aligns with the ViDA initiative. The revision is not backward compatible, requiring migration for existing version 3 implementations, and will be formally approved in late January 2026 with publication concluding within six months. Key national roll‑outs include Germany’s XRechnung 4.0 and France’s CTC extensions.
Bloomberg Tax · 6 days ago
Bloomberg Tax’s commentary examines the European Commission’s proposal to grant EU anti‑fraud bodies access to national VAT data, a move aimed at closing the €128 billion annual VAT gap. The article highlights the debate over jurisdiction and the balance between cross‑border enforcement and national sovereignty.
LinkedIn Article by Raoul Ramautarsing · 8 days ago
The EU is set to overhaul its e‑commerce customs regime, abolishing the <EUR 150 exemption on July 1 2026 and replacing it with a flat EUR 3 fee per product. From November 1 2026 a EUR 2 handling fee will apply to all distance‑sale goods, while platforms will become deemed importers responsible for duties, VAT and compliance. A new customs data hub is slated for 2028 and dedicated e‑commerce warehouses are encouraged to mitigate the impact.
Baker McKenzie · 9 days ago
The CJEU reaffirmed that substantive VAT exemption conditions prevail over formalities, with three 2025 judgments clarifying that missing Article 45a documents, incomplete export paperwork, or absent customs steps do not automatically deny exemptions if fraud is absent. The rulings reinforce fiscal neutrality and outline narrow exceptions where formal non‑compliance can defeat an exemption.
Pagero · 12 days ago
The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs released a draft report on 4 February 2026 urging the European Commission to overhaul the outdated 1977 VAT exemption for financial services. The report proposes taxing identifiable charges such as fees and commissions, introduces coordinated temporary windfall taxes on exceptional bank profits, and calls for an alternative to the withdrawn EU-wide Financial Transaction Tax.
The Invoicing Hub · 12 days ago
The Peppol network will enforce a mandatory switch from G2 to G3 digital certificates on 1 April 2026. Failure to migrate will revoke the G2 trust chain and disconnect Access Points from the network. OpenPeppol has issued detailed guidelines to help providers become dual‑capable during the transition.
