International VAT Association – October 2025 Conference

The right to deduct VAT is often considered the cornerstone of the VAT system—correct?
But what if we told you that this is not always the case, particularly when goods are imported but not owned?

What may seem clear from court decisions and statutory law is not always reflected in practice across EU Member States.
This was the theme of the discussion on the second day of International VAT Association conference in Helsinki, where Emmanuel Cotessat (France) Lars Gläser (Austria) and Catarina Belim (Portugal) highlighted that, despite VAT harmonization, Member States still retain some discretion in its application.

Thank you to International VAT Association for all the hard work!