Italy is worst on VAT
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by Sally Nash • Italy is the "black hole" of the VAT recovery system for haulage firms, according to the Freight Transport Association, which has compiled statistics showing the fastest and slowest payers.
Spain and Italy are definitely at the bottom of the European league, says the ETA. However, this could change as Italy has recently changed its VAT rules, allowing third-party agents to make claims on behalf of hauliers behalf. FTA international administrator Mark Woodhouse says: "Hopefully once we are set up as an agent we will be chasing members' claims— we have never had any money back from Italy and there are several thousand pounds involved."
International operator Brian Yeardley, who is calling for a change in the way VAT is reclaimed on the Continent, recently revealed that it takes him three years to claw back VAT from Italy for fuel and services brought there (CM 26 Feb-4 March). Spain has also been singled out as a country where VAT recovery is a slow and painful process.
"It didn't help that they changed legislation last year and forgot to tell anyone outside Spain," says Woodhouse. The FTA is now resubmitting all its claims for Spain.
Germany, Holland and Ireland have emerged as the three star players: they usually take less than three months to repay VAT. "We put in a claim to Germany on 30 January and it's back already," says Woodhouse.
Getting VAT back from France takes up to six months, while in Belgium some operators have to wait up to 12 months and in Austria the delay can be even longer.