VAT briefing for June 2016

There have been several important VAT decisions in recent weeks. In Airtours, the Supreme Court held that Airtours was not entitled to deduct VAT on fees it paid for services supplied to a third party. In Bookit and National Exhibition Centre, the CJEU held that the VAT exemption for transactions involving payments and transfers does not apply to ‘card handling services’. In University of Huddersfield, the Court of Appeal held that the EU principle of abuse of rights invalidated a lease and leaseback scheme intended to create an absolute VAT saving.