VAT focus: EU VAT rates and compliance information

This table summarises the standard rates of VAT currently in force in each member state, as well as other useful information such as their VAT registration, distance selling limit and intrastat thresholds.

The main headline this time is the accession of Croatia on 1 July 2013, the first new member state since Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. With a standard rate of 25%, Croatia instantly joins the unofficial club of high rate countries, but for the EU as a whole, the recent trend of rate rises finally seems to be slowing down. So far, only four countries have upped their standard rate in 2013, and these have all been modest increases of 1% or 2%.

Meanwhile, Italy has postponed its planned increase from 21% to 22% until at least October and Belgium is reported to have decided to leave its long-standing rate of 20% in place for now.