Semeta reaffirms commitment to reform EU VAT

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement


Semeta reaffirms commitment to reform EU VAT

Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud will propose broad objectives for the future VAT system by the end of the year.

Šemeta, speaking at the FEE Tax Day 2011 Brussels, pointed out that the present system is too complex and in need of reform, though he was quick to manage expectations as agreement among member states on tax policy is notoriously difficult.

“Whilst expectations are high, several respondents indicated that there is also a need to remain realistic,” he said. “Member states are understandably unwilling to take any risks with this tax, accounting for 21% of national revenues in the EU.”

The full text of his speech can be found here.

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

One of the two appointments is EY’s Gordon McIntosh, who becomes the big four firm’s second senior tax departure in September
Balson's move from a Tier 1 practice to a Tier 3 competitor looks counterintuitive. The market data suggests it is anything but
Awards
It was another banner year for Deloitte, which picked up more awards than any other firm at a gala ceremony held at The Londoner in Leicester Square
The big four firm has been embroiled in a scandal over partners’ misuse of confidential board papers to pitch for and win corporate audits for Westpac and Dexus
Drawing on lessons from the PepsiCo case, tax lawyer Paul McNab explains why the ATO's latest royalty guidance should concern multinationals well beyond the technology sector
As pillar two exposes the limits of fragmented tax processes, organisations are rethinking their operating models to create the trusted data foundations that AI demands
World Tax data shows Matt Donnelly is moving from a Tier 3 transactional tax practice to a Tier 1 market leader, underlining Kirkland & Ellis’s pull at the top end of the market
Nexdigm's Maulik Doshi and infer360 co-founder Sunil Agarwal dig deeper into their partnership and discuss why the tax technology industry is consolidating
Advisers won’t be short of work in a world of increased valuation disputes, documentation requirements and behavioural responses from clients seeking to protect their wealth
Jaydeep Menon explains how Frazier & Deeter built a specialist practice which helps UK start-ups expand into the US and why private equity backing is accelerating its ambitions
Gift this article