Will VIDA Not Be Introduced until 2025? Delay Very Likely

The introduction of a comprehensive reform of VAT in the Digital Age in all EU countries from 2024 is unlikely.

Given the many objections from stakeholders and the EU Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) to the proposed changes and requirements for solutions, it is unlikely that the relevant VIDA legislation will be adopted before the end of 2023, so it probably won’t come into effect from the beginning of next year.

As a reminder, from 2024 it was planned to remove the requirement for buyers to accept e-invoices, introduce a rule that only a structured invoice would be considered an e-invoice (PDF files would no longer be accepted), and implement a decision that mandatory e-invoicing in a Member State should not require EC approval.

For the time being, the introduction of mandatory e-invoicing for cross-border transactions and the digital reporting obligation in 2028 do not appear to be in jeopardy.