All VAT-registered traders are required by Regulation 24(1) of the Value-Added Tax Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 639 of 2010) to submit an annual statistical Return of Trading Details (RTD) on form RTD EUR. The annual RTD form was introduced by Revenue in the early 1990's as part of an administrative simplification process. As an annual Return, the current filing period is set at the limit of the filing frequency limits of the enabling EU Council Directive (2006/112/EC, Article 252).

The Return form provides fields for a breakdown of the supply of goods and services, imports and deductible inputs at the various VAT rates applicable during the year. This includes all Irish, Intra-EU and non-EU trade.

Mandatory e-filing applies to all VAT-registered traders with the exception of a small number of exempted cases. Accordingly, the Revenue Online Service (ROS) is the primary channel for submission of the RTD to Revenue.

In the case of companies registered for Corporation Tax, the annual period of the RTD is based on the company's accounting period for Corporation Tax. The due date for the submission of the RTD to the Collector General is the 19th of the month following the month in which the accounting period ends, e.g. if an accounting period ends on the 30th of June, the annual RTD must be submitted by the 19th of July.

The Office of the Revenue Commissioners wishes to advise that a substantial redevelopment of the current RTD filing system will be delivered in a number of stages, commencing in the period late-2013 to early-2014. The proposed changes to the RTD will include a simplified RTD format in ROS, while the paper-based RTD filing option which is currently available for a very limited number of approved VAT traders will be ceased.

As part of the RTD redevelopment process, a number of measures will also be implemented to ensure compliance with statutory filing obligations through the tax repayment and tax clearance systems. Agents and their clients are advised that the first of these compliance measures will be implemented by Revenue Districts commencing on 1 September 2013. From that date, in accordance with S. 960H (2)(b) Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, taxpayers who are seeking repayments or refunds of tax may be requested by their local Revenue District to submit outstanding RTD forms in order for such repayments or refunds to issue.

Further details of additional compliance measures will be notified prior to their implementation.

Source: Revenue Commissioners. www.revenue.ie. Copyright Acknowledged.