Weekers: European VAT refund, ball is in the court of the Commission

In January 2011 State Secretary of Finance Weekers urged Euro Commissioner Semeta, during a working visit of the Euro Commissioner to Customs in Rotterdam, to take action and expedite the slow processing of EU VAT refunds to Dutch entrepreneurs.

'The European rules are interpreted differently by the Member States. The result is that Dutch entrepreneurs wait too long for their VAT refund in these economically difficult times', according to State Secretary Weekers.

The Netherlands has forwarded all applications for a VAT refund to the countries involved. One of the problems is that no mandatory term has been stipulated by the Commission for EU VAT refund. The rules are applied differently too, so that VAT refunds are sometimes shelved in other countries. Luxemburg, for instance, has so far failed to send out acknowledgements of receipt for almost 1000 VAT refund applications and Austria does not accept corrections in the way that has been agreed within the European Union.