VAT in the Digital Era Unilateral and Multilateral Options for Reform

With the growth of the digitalized economy, VAT on cross-border digital supplies has emerged as an important issue. Yet, views and practices regarding the application of the VAT on these supplies differ significantly across different jurisdictions. A lack of international VAT harmonization can cause double taxation or unintended double non-taxation, resulting in distortions and revenue losses.

VAT in the Digital Era considers unilateral and multilateral options for the creation of an internationally coordinated VAT framework. Providing analysis of the status quo in key jurisdictions, the book explores the implications of the digitalized economy for the VAT systems across borders. It outlines possible approaches that can be taken to achieve a more consistent international VAT treatment of cross-border supplies, and the extent to which a multilateral solution would be preferable and achievable at the international level.

Bringing together contributions from leading international voices in the VAT law and policy and international taxation fields, VAT in the Digital Era addresses current issues and proposes ways to coordinate VAT rules on cross-border digital supplies. This new book is essential reading for academics, researchers, governments, and other financial organisations involved with the world's most important indirect tax.

Part I: Inroduction
1. VAT in the Digital Era: Responses and Prospects, Yan Xu
Part II: Jurisdictional Experiences
2. Digital Supplies in a Cross-border Context: the EU Perspective on VAT Coordination, Edoardo Traversa, Marie Lamensch , and and Elena Masseglia
3. US Sales Taxes on Cross-Jurisdictional Transactions, Robert van Brederode
4. China's VAT in the Digitalized Economy, Yige Zu
5. 'Operation Netflix': A Review of Australian Reforms to Apply the Goods and Services Tax to Inbound Cross-border Supplies in the Digital Economy, Kathryn James
6. The Digital Economy Challenges to Japanese Consumption Tax, Yumi Nishiyama and Richard Krever
7. VAT and Digital Supplies: A South African Perspective, Stephanus van Zyl
Part III: International Guidance, Lessons and Prospects
8. A 'Model Framework' for Applying Consumption Taxes to International Services and Intangibles: Are We There Yet?, Rebecca Millar
9. Lessons from EU VAT Harmonization, Joachim Englisch
10. The Role of Platforms in the Collection of Consumption Taxes in the Digital Economy: Lessons from the US State Experience, Walter Hellerstein
11. Brexit and VAT, Roderick Cordara
12. Some Thoughts on the Relationship between the Destination Based Cash Flow Tax and VAT, Wolfgang Schön
13. The Origins of Destination-based Income Taxation: US and International Tax Perspectives, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah
14. The Future of Indirect Taxation in a Digital World, Lachlan Wolfers and Philippe Stephanny
15. The Holy Grail of International Consistency in VAT Administration, Yan Xu and Michael Walpole