Book Description
In line with the Digital Single Market Strategy objective of boosting e-Commerce growth within the EU, the European Commission is considering a number of policy Options aimed at simplifying the VAT and Customs system. These policy Options build on the recent legislation on telecommunications, broadcasting and electronic services ('TBE services') provided to final consumers (B2C) within the EU which introduced the destination principle accompanied with the implementation of a Mini One Stop Shop (i.e. the MOSS). This report forms part of a broad study providing an in-depth economic analysis of VAT aspects of e-Commerce. The study considers the widening of the MOSS to other areas of B2C e-Commerce, the elimination of the VAT exemption for the importation of small consignments, and the elimination of current registration thresholds for intra-EU B2C supplies of goods. The objective is to reduce the administrative burden on trade and remove distortion of competition, to support the full achievement of the Digital Single Market. The Options assessed in this report were formulated following a design process that took into consideration inputs from stakeholders, the European Commission and other policy initiatives at EU level, which allowed forming a view on the problems and deriving the policy objectives and Policy Options. The Policy Options were assessed with regard to their financial and economic impacts through a number of tools devised for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Data gathering tools consisted of desk research, surveying consumers in 25 Member States, interviewing businesses and tax authorities in selected Member States, carrying out mock purchases, facilitating and attending stakeholder workshops and online surveying of businesses. For the analysis of the data, a Standard Cost Model (SCM) and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model were applied to measure the administrative burden of businesses and the magnitude of effects on cross-border e-Commerce arising from the administrative burden, respectively. The economic analysis of the Policy Options included also a sensitivity analysis, using different e-Commerce growth scenarios. The main analysis considers the medium growth scenario (e-Commerce Compounded Annual Growth Rate - CAGR - of 12%), while the sensitivity analysis allows for lower and higher e-Commerce growth (CAGR of 6% under the low growth scenario and CAGR of 18% under the high growth scenario). An additional scenario allows for the impact of the Digital Single Market on cross-border e-Commerce within the EU as well ('DSM scenario').