IPA Calls on Brazilian Government to Resist VAT Changes for Books
The International Publishers Association (IPA) calls on the Brazilian government to support its book industry and immediately drop plans to impose a Value Added Tax (VAT) on books.
Bulgaria - Reduced VAT on books in Bulgaria
On 10 June, the Bulgarian Parliament adopted a proposal to reduce VAT on several goods and services, including books (only print), from the standard 20% rate to a reduced rate of 9%.
The measure, which will enter into force as of the 1st of July, is part of the government’s recovery plan from the COVID-19 crisis. It is meant to be a temporary initiative, until the end of 2021. It is nonetheless very significant, as Bulgaria was one of two EU Members States to never have applied reduced VAT on books (the other being Denmark) – whereas the other 25 have a reduced or super-reduced (or even zero) rate for print books, as do the UK and EEA countries Norway and Iceland.
Moreover, 18 Member States apply a reduced rate to digital books. The possibility to apply reduced VAT to print books has been enshrined in EU legislation since many years, whereas only in 2018 was the legal framework modified to include digital publications. Two Member States (Spain and Estonia) and the UK adopted or sped up the adoption of reduced rates on digital publications as a crisis-related measure.
Thanks to Enrico Turrin of FEP for this update.
UK fast-tracks abolishment of VAT rate on digital editions
The UK decision to “axe the reading tax”, the abolishment of the 20 % value-added tax (VAT) on digital editions, has been fast-tracked and entered into force on May 1, 2020.
Poland and Slovenia Reduce VAT on eBooks
Following legislative change in the European Union (EU) on 2 October 2018, EU Member States continue to reduce VAT rates for eBooks and audiobooks, often aligning them with physical books. Slovenia and Poland are the latest countries to act while the Publishers Association in the UK Campaigns hard.
eBook VAT – reduced rates and ongoing campaigns across Europe
Following legislative change in the European Union (EU) on 2 October 2018, EU Member States can align the VAT rates for eBooks and audiobooks with physical books. A number of countries have been quick of the mark but in others publishers are campaigning hard.
IPA President at Lima International Book Fair
IPA President Hugo Setzer attended the Lima International Book Fair from 22-25 July, taking part in discussions around VAT and elivering a keynote on the Freedom to Publish.
IPA and FEP publish VAT report
The new VAT report published by IPA and the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) covers more countries than ever before and notes recent changes in the EU and campaigning in the UK to axe the reading tax.
Europe aligns VAT between eBooks and physical books; ratifies Marrakesh
The International Publishers Association welcomes the news that the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council has unanimously agreed to allow Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to eBooks, bringing them into alignment with physical books, which in most cases carried a lower rate.