Tax News

01.04.2020Tax-related and economic measures in connection with COVID-19 – Focus on indirect taxation at national and EU level

Measures at national level

The measures include a temporary waiver to charge interest on late payments of VAT, excise and customs duties until 31 December 2020. The VAT submission and payment deadlines of 60 days after the end of the accounting period (monthly, quarterly or semi-annually) as stipulated in the Swiss VAT Act will continue to apply. VAT payers must generally comply with their procedural and payment obligations within these deadlines. In the event of cash-flow problems, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) and the Federal Customs Administration (FCA) will grant payment facilities in the form of payment deferrals to VAT-liable companies upon request. It is to be noted that the procedures for the deferral is not uniform for the FTA and the FCA.

Measures at European level

Not only Switzerland, but also the EU Member States and Norway have taken tax measures to support the economy. The attached table is intended to provide an overview of the applicable measures in the area of European VAT and, in particular, to be an aid for those companies that have to fulfil VAT filing and payment obligations in EU jurisdictions. This overview is updated every Friday by the Taxand Network and published on www.taxand.com