Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1541 of 2 October 2018 amending Regulations (EU) No 904/2010 and (EU) 2017/2454 as regards measures to strengthen administrative cooperation in the field of value added tax

‘4 The request referred to in paragraph 1 may contain a reasoned request for a specific administrative enquiry. The requested authority shall undertake the administrative enquiry in consultation of the requesting authority where necessary. If the requested authority takes the view that no administrative enquiry is necessary, it shall immediately inform the requesting authority of the reasons thereof. Notwithstanding the first subparagraph, an enquiry into the amounts declared or those that should have been declared by a taxable person established in the Member State of the requested authority, in connection with supplies of goods or services which are made by this taxable person and which are taxable in the Member State of the requesting authority, may be refused solely on any of the following grounds: (a) on the grounds provided for in Article 54(1), assessed by the requested authority in conformity with a statement of best practices concerning the interaction of this paragraph and Article 54(1), to be adopted in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 58(2); (b) on the grounds provided for in Article 54(2), (3) and (4); (c) on the grounds that the requested authority had already supplied the requesting authority with information on the same taxable person as a result of an administrative enquiry held less than two years previously. Where the requested authority refuses an administrative enquiry referred to in the second subparagraph on the grounds set out in point (a) or (b), it shall nevertheless provide to the requesting authority the dates and values of any relevant supplies made by the taxable person in the Member State of the requesting authority over the previous two years.’;

‘4a Where the competent authorities of at least two Member States consider that an administrative enquiry into the amounts referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 4 of this Article is required and submit a common reasoned request containing indications or evidence of risks of VAT evasion or fraud, the requested authority shall not refuse to undertake that enquiry except on the grounds provided for in point (b) of Article 54(1), Article 54(2), (3) or (4). Where the requested Member State already possesses the information requested, it shall provide this information to the requesting Member States. Where the requesting Member States are not satisfied with the information received, they shall inform the requested Member State to proceed further with the administrative enquiry. If the requested Member State so requires, officials authorised by the requesting authorities shall take part in the administrative enquiry. Such administrative enquiry shall be carried out jointly and shall be conducted under the direction and according to the legislation of the requested Member State. The officials of the requesting authorities shall have access to the same premises and documents as the officials of the requested authority and, in so far as it is permitted under the legislation of the requested Member State for its officials, be able to interview taxable persons. The inspection powers of the officials of the requesting authorities shall be exercised for the sole purpose of carrying out the administrative enquiry. Where the requested Member State has not required officials from the requesting Member States, the officials from any of the requesting Member States shall be able to be present during the administrative enquiry exercising the powers provided for in Article 28(2), in so far as conditions under the national law of the requested Member State are met. In any case, the officials from those requesting Member States shall be able to be present for consultation. Where officials from the requesting Member States have to participate or have to be present, the administrative enquiry shall be carried out only when such participation or presence for the purposes of the administrative enquiry is ensured.’;

‘3 The information shall be forwarded by means of standard forms except in the cases referred to in Article 50 or in specific cases when the respective competent authorities deem other secure means more appropriate and agree to use them. The Commission shall adopt by means of implementing acts the standard forms. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

‘2 The Commission shall adopt by means of implementing acts the technical details concerning the automated enquiry of the information referred to in points (а) to (f) of paragraph 1 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

‘3 The Commission shall determine by means of implementing acts the data elements of the information referred to in point (f) of paragraph 1 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

‘1a Every Member State shall grant its officials who check the requirements provided for in Article 143(2) of Directive 2006/112/EC access to the information referred to in points (a) to (c) of Article 17(1) of this Regulation for which automated access is granted by the other Member States.’;

‘2a With respect to the information referred to in point (f) of Article 17(1), the following details shall be accessible: (a) the VAT identification numbers issued by the Member State receiving the information; (b) the VAT identification numbers of the importer or of his tax representative who supplies the goods to persons holding a VAT identification number referred to in point (a) of this paragraph; (c) the country of origin, the country of destination, the commodity code, the total amount and the net weight of the imported goods followed by an intra-Community supply of goods from each person referred to in point (b) of this paragraph to each person holding a VAT identification number referred to in point (a) of this paragraph; (d) the country of origin, the country of destination, the commodity code, the currency, the total amount, exchange rate, the item price and the net weight of the imported goods followed by an intra-Community supply of goods from each person referred to in point (b) of this paragraph to each person holding a VAT identification number issued by another Member State under the following conditions: (i) access is in connection with an investigation into suspected fraud or is to detect fraud; (ii) access is through a Eurofisc liaison official, as referred to in Article 36(1), who holds a personal user identification for the electronic systems allowing access to this information. The values referred to in points (c) and (d) of the first subparagraph shall be expressed in the currency of the Member State providing the information and shall relate to each goods item of the customs declaration submitted.’;

‘3 The Commission shall determine by means of implementing acts the practical arrangements as regards the conditions provided for in point (e) of paragraph 2 of this Article in order to enable the Member State providing the information to identify the Eurofisc liaison official accessing the information. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

‘3 The Commission shall determine by means of implementing acts the practical arrangements as regards the conditions provided for in point (e) of paragraph 2, and in point (d) of paragraph 2a, of this Article in order to enable the Member State providing the information to identify the Eurofisc liaison official accessing the information. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

1 Every Member State shall grant the competent authority of any other Member State automated access to the following information in relation to national vehicle registrations: (a) identification data relating to vehicles; (b) identification data relating to the owners and the holders of the vehicle in whose name the vehicle is registered, as defined in the law of the Member State of registration.

2 Access to the information referred to in paragraph 1 shall be granted under the following conditions: (a) access is in connection with an investigation into suspected VAT fraud or is to detect VAT fraud; (b) access is through a Eurofisc liaison official, as referred to in Article 36(1), who holds a personal user identification for the electronic systems allowing access to this information.

3 The Commission shall determine by means of implementing acts the data elements and the technical details concerning the automated enquiry of the information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and the practical arrangements as regards the conditions provided for in paragraph 2 of this Article in order to enable the Member State providing the information to identify the Eurofisc liaison official accessing the information. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

Where, for the purposes of Articles 17 to 21a, the competent authorities of the Member States exchange information by electronic means, they shall take all measures necessary to ensure compliance with Article 55. Member States shall be responsible for all necessary developments to their systems to permit the exchange of that information using the CCN/CSI network or any other similar secure network used to exchange the information referred to in Article 21a by electronic means.’;

The Commission shall provide Eurofisc with technical and logistical support. The Commission shall not have access to the information referred to in Article 1, which may be exchanged over Eurofisc, except in the circumstances provided for in Article 55(2).’;

The Eurofisc chairperson shall submit an annual report on the activities of all of the working fields to the Committee referred to in Article 58(1). The Commission shall adopt by means of implementing acts the procedural arrangements in relation to Eurofisc. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).’;

“2 The Commission shall adopt by means of implementing acts the technical details concerning the automated enquiry of the information referred to in points (a) to (f) of paragraph 1 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 58(2).”’;

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Points (3) (a), (b) and (c), points (4) (a), (c) and (e) and points (5), (6) and (14) of Article 1 shall apply from 1 January 2020.