Maltese VAT legislation and the EU transitional VAT regime

Abstract

Until January 1, 1993, border controls had served as a collection point for value added tax (VAT) on the importation of goods into individual Member States of the European Community. The abolition of border controls on the movement of goods within the European Community necessitated a new mechanism to enable Member States of destination to continue to collect the relevant VAT. However, Member States came to accept that individuals who travelled to another Member State and acquired goods which they transported back to their 'home' Member State, should only pay VAT in the Member State in which the goods were purchased. Accordingly, the transitional VAT regime has been described as a hybrid system on account of the fact that while the bulk of intra-Community trade in goods is effected between VAT-registered traders and, as such, continues to be taxed in the Member State of destination, goods purchased by individuals for private consumption are, as a rule, subject to VAT in the Member State of origin.