EU Commissioner Šemeta opened a conference on the “Green Paper on the future of VAT – Towards a simpler, more robust and efficient VAT system” in Milan. The conference was organised by the European Commission and attended by representatives from business, tax authorities, the OECD, academics and other stakeholders.

The conference is part of the public consultation launched by the Commission in December 2010 on how to strengthen and improve the current VAT system for tax payers and administrations in the EU. The Green Paper puts all aspects of the VAT system under review, ranging from the VAT treatment of cross border transactions, the reduction of compliance costs for businesses and the prevention of VAT fraud. The outcomes of the conference, together with all the contributions received will be considered in the Communication on a new VAT Strategy that the Commission intends to present before the end of this year.

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