The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

EC to amend VAT Directive

A J Stiles

Easier way 

Stop

A much easier way to cut VAT fraud would just be to abolish VAT (or at least, drastically reduce its scope so it becomes the exception as opposed to the norm). Tax people at the moment they earn their money, not when they spend it. This would also have the benefit that those who earn the most money, pay the most taxes.

An across-the-board switch to a "pay first / claim back later" model (as mere mortals already have to do) also would be effective; but it probably would be overburdensome (and in any case, could still be "gamed" as long as disparate currencies exist within the EU).

Iain

Simple solution 

Stop

Scrap VAT and collect the equivalent on income tax... much fairer.

Remove a stupid double tax, after all the money I'm spending is what's left over after I've paid tax already

Graham Marsden

VAT... 

.. was originally intended to be a tax on "luxuries", but it seems today that pretty much everything over the barest minimum needed to survive on is now classified as a "luxury".

This tax simply causes more hassle for businesses and should be ditched.

BioTube

You don't hear about fraud much 

Over here in relation to the sales tax(and nobody cares much if you get out of it by buying something out-of-state, though technically you're supposed to send it in yourself in that case). It might also be related to the lower rates, though(8.25% here with state/county/city all figured in).