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Explainers

Concepts in Taxation simplified for you

📄️EU VAT Rate Rules

How the EU VAT Directive limits national VAT rates: the 15% minimum standard rate with no maximum (Art 97), two reduced rates of at least 5% on up to 24 Annex III points, one rate below 5% and a zero rate on up to seven points (Art 98), the Article 105a grandfathering of super-reduced, zero and parking rates after Directive 2022/542, the 2030 and 2032 deadlines, the Article 104 island and regional derogations, and who applies which derogation per the Commission's COM(2025) 585 report.

📄️Triangulation

EU triangulation explained from the legal texts: the five conditions of Article 141 of the VAT Directive, the reverse charge on the final customer under Article 197, the Article 42 switch-off of the intermediary's acquisition, the 'Reverse charge' invoice mention, a worked Italy→Germany→France example, four-party chains, the Bühler, Luxury Trust, T-646/24 and T-773/25 judgments, the ViDA changes from 1 July 2030, and national rules in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Austria.