World news
Simplifying ESG rules: reporting and due diligence
The European Commission has presented the Omnibus I (ESG) and Omnibus II (investment) legislative packages, which aim to simplify ESG reporting rules and reduce the administrative burden for businesses. The initiative is part of a broader effort to…
European Union responds to US tariffs with retaliation
Last month, the US administration led by President Donald Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Europe. In response, the European Commission is imposing retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of US goods.
Introduction of digital systems for EU travel delayed
The European Union is working on the introduction of two new digital systems to track and record the travel of foreigners into the Schengen area: the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). These…
Simplified CBAM application rules
The European Commission has presented new packages of legislative proposals (Omnibus I and II) aiming to simplify the current EU environmental rules. This will promote a more business-friendly environment allowing European companies to grow,…
New import tariffs between Europe and US on horizon
The change in the political representation of the United States of America is causing considerable tension in international trade. President Donald Trump wants to impose retaliatory tariffs on imports of goods into the United States, which will…
E-invoicing has green light in Germany
From 1 January 2025, companies established in Germany are obliged to use electronic invoicing for all transactions between local business partners. This makes Germany the first country to introduce e-invoicing under the approved VAT in the Digital…
Czech Republic granted qualified top-up tax status
On 15 January 2025, the OECD published a set of documents on the global minimum tax (Pillar 2). These documents include a record of countries with a qualified top-up tax status, a GloBE Information Return (GIR) form, a model Multilateral Agreement…
UK introduces ETA
The UK continues to digitise its border controls and is introducing ETA, a new electronic travel authorisation system. The system, which is similar to the US’ ESTA, will be mandatory from April 2025 for citizens of the European Union who want to…
Pillar Two: Exchange of information on information returns within EU (DAC 9)
The European Commission is proposing a single framework for exchanging information on top-up tax information returns, which would allow the filing of a single information return within the EU. The proposal includes a single format for information…
Planned Slovak VAT innovations
The Slovak Ministry of Finance has prepared a draft amendment to the VAT Act. The amendment should enter into force on 1 January 2025 (some parts on 1 July 2025). The most important changes are summarised in this article.
VAT perspective on e-invoicing in EU
The digitisation of the tax agenda and the related introduction of electronic invoicing (in the form of e-invoicing) is becoming increasingly relevant. During its EU presidency, Belgium pushed forward negotiations with other member states and…
CBAM: end of default values
In its Implementing Regulation of August 2023, the European Commission in certain cases allowed the reporting of emissions for the purpose of filing Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) reports based on calculations using published default…