COMECON MEDIA

Link: Public Consultation on reduced VAT rates for electronically supplied publications

Title:

Public Consultation on reduced and super-reduced VAT rates for electronically supplied publications


Policy fields:
Taxation


Target groups:
The open public consultation will seek the views of business, the public and representative organisations


Period of consultation: 
From 25.07.2016 to 19.09.2016

Objective of the consultation
Member States have the options to tax printed books, newspapers and publications at a reduced rate (minimum 5%) and some Member States were granted the applications of VAT rates lower than 5% (super-reduced rates) including exemptions with a deductions right of VAT at the preceding stage (so called zero rates) to certain printed publications. On the other hand, digital publications that are electronically supplied have to be taxed at the standard VAT rate.

A harmonisation of VAT rates for electronically supplied services and in particular electronically supplied publications was…

IEU.MONITORING: IEU DIGITAL Telegram 22 July 2016




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Sometimes, an example talks louder than any great analysis:

#Netflix fails in the #EU#DigitalSingleMarket: In Poland I watched #HouseOfCards IV (in German) yesterday - in Germany today: no way! — IEU.MONITORING (@IEU_Monitoring) 21 July 2016
When I asked the Netflix chatroom about this issue they admitted the case, but failed to explain why Netflix treats its German users worse than its Polish friends (as I am working across Europe, I can cope with it :-)). They just said that they are working hard to change their (own) policy.

Seems they counted more on the fast money they can earn by selling licences to Sky than to us ordinary consumers. But whether this quick win serves Netflix in the long-run seems doubtful. 

Like Amazon, they should treat the German market with more care. The TV competition here is immense.

Next week -- back in Poland -- I will list the series I can watch there - and later test it in Germany. Perhaps, House of Cards is not the only case....

So stay tuned for more.

IEU.MONITORING: IEU DIGITAL Telegram 7 July 2016



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