This course is designed to provide participants with a framework of the most important VAT principles and issues which anyone dealing with value added tax in the European Union is confronted with and needs to understand. The course will end each day with a case study to enable participants to gain confidence in applying the skills acquired during the course.

Day 1

08.30 - 09.00 Registration

09.00 - 09.20 Welcome and IBFD Overview

09.20 - 10.30 Introduction
(Walter van der Corput, IBFD, The Netherlands)

• General introduction to the VAT mechanism
• Harmonization of VAT in the European Union
• Advantages and disadvantages of VAT
• Neutrality of the VAT system
10.30 - 10.50 Break - Refreshments

10.50 - 11.45 Taxable Persons
(Fabiola Annacondia, IBFD, The Netherlands)

• What is a ‘Taxable Person’?
• Small businesses
• Government bodies
• Group treatment
• Holding companies

11.45 - 12.45 Goods and Services
(Walter van der Corput)

• Transactions subject to VAT - basic rules
• Difference between goods and services
• Exceptions and unusual items
• Intermediaries and commissionaires
• Asset labelling
• Separate and composite supplies

12.45 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00 - 15.40 Place and Time of Supply
(Walter van der Corput)

• Place of supply of goods: general rules, assembly/installation, intra-Community supplies of goods, distance selling, etc
• Chain transactions
• Place of supply of services: general rules, special rules
• Effective use and enjoyment override
• Reverse charge mechanism
• New place-of-supply rules for services
• Time of chargeable event, including continuous supplies

15.40 - 16.00 Break - Refreshments

16.00 - 17.00 Quiz
(Walter van der Corput and Fabiola Annacondia)

• Quiz on issues in day 1
• Feedback
• Questions on the content of day 1


Day 2


09.00 - 10.00 Taxable Amount - VAT Rates
(Fabiola Annacondia)

• Consideration, subsidies, withdrawal/self-supply, discounts
• Open-market value
• Standard rate, reduced rates
• Labour-intensive services

10.00 - 11.00 Exemptions
(Fabiola Annacondia)

• Overview of exemptions
• Consequences of exemptions
• Conditions, options for taxation
• Transitional arrangements

11.00 - 11.20 Break - Refreshments

11.20 - 12.45 Deduction of Input Tax
(Walter van der Corput)

• Basic rules for input tax deduction
• Direct link between inputs and outputs
• Partial and non-deduction
• Adjustment of input tax deduction
• Abuse of law
• Missing-trader fraud
• Eighth & Thirteenth Directives refunds
• New Directive on VAT refunds

12.45 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00 - 15.30 Immovable Property
(Walter van der Corput)

• Supplies and leasing and letting of immovable property
• Rights in rem
• Exemption and option for taxation

15.30 - 15.50 Break – Refreshments

15.50 - 17.00 Case Study 1
(Walter van der Corput)

• Case Study incorporating content of day 1 and 2
• Feedback and discussion

Day 3


09.00 - 10.30 Special Schemes
(Fabiola Annacondia)

• Small businesses
• Flat-rate farmers
• Travel agents
• Investment gold
• Second-hand goods, works of art, antiques & collectors’ items (Margin scheme, globalization, auctions, option)
• Electronically supplied services

10.30 - 10.50 Break - Refreshments

10.50 - 12.45 Imports and Exports
(Christian Deglas, Deloitte, Luxembourg)

• Imports and intra-Community acquisitions of goods
• Postponed accounting
• Exports and intra-Community supplies of goods
• Zero rates
• Documentary evidence
• Retail export scheme
• Warehousing arrangements

12.45 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00 - 15.10 Feedback and Discussion
(Walter van der Corput)

15.10 - 15.30
Break – Refreshments

15.30 - 17.00 Administrative Obligations
(Christian Deglas)

• Registration for VAT purposes (VAT groups)
• Business records
• Register
• VAT invoices
• VAT returns
• Payment of VAT
• Recapitulative statements


Day 4


09.00 - 10.30 Intra-Community Trade-1
(Walter van der Corput)

• General introduction to the transitional system
• Origin and destination principles
• Intra-Community supplies of goods
• Intra-Community acquisitions of goods
• Transfer of goods
• Distance selling
• Intra-Community services

10.30 - 10.50 Break - Refreshments

10.50 - 12.45 Intra-Community Trade-2
(Walter van der Corput)

• Special cases
• Intra-Community triangulation
• Consignment arrangements and call-off stocks
• Bilateral work on goods

12.45 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00 - 16.00 Case Study 2
(Walter van der Corput)

• Case study focusing on cross-border transactions
• Feedback and discussion

Walter van der Corput, IBFD, The Netherlands; Fabiola Annacondia, IBFD, The Netherlands; Christian Deglas, Deloitte, Luxembourg