VAT

VAT fraud – principles of effectiveness and equivalence

Judgment

C-662/13

12.02.2015

Parties

Jurisdiction

Formation

Judge Rapporteur

Advocate General

Subject-matter

Reference for a preliminary ruling

Surgicare — Unidades de Saúde SA

v.

Fazenda Pública

CJEU

9th Ch.

K. Jürimäe

P. Mengozzi

VAT

Key-words

VAT — Directive 2006/112/EC — Deduction of input tax — Transactions constituting an abusive practice — National tax law — Special national procedure where the existence of abusive practices is suspected in the field of taxation — Principles of effectiveness and equivalence.

Significant points

 In the absence of any EU rules in the area, the means of preventing VAT fraud falls within the internal legal order of the Member States under the principle of procedural autonomy of the latter. In that regard, it is apparent from the Court’s settled case-law that it is for the domestic legal system of each Member State, in particular, to designate the authorities responsible for combatting VAT fraud and to lay down detailed procedural rules for safeguarding rights which individuals derive from EU law, provided that such rules are not less favourable than those governing similar domestic actions (principle of equivalence) and that they do not render impossible in practice or excessively difficult the exercise of rights conferred by the EU legal order (principle of effectiveness).

  1. As regards, first, the principle of effectiveness, it must be held that the special procedure laid down by Article 63 of the CPPT, subject to a limitation period of three years, is characterised by a preliminary hearing within 30 days for the taxpayer concerned, the submission by the taxpayer of all the evidence that he considers to be relevant and the obtaining of an authorisation from the head of the department, or the official to whom he has delegated the relevant power, responsible for the application of anti-abuse rules. Furthermore, in accordance with that provision, reasons must be given for the decision adopted. It follows from those elements that the national procedure in question is favourable to the person suspected of having committed an abuse of rights, inasmuch as it seeks to guarantee the observance of certain fundamental rights, in particular the right to be heard.
  2. As regards, second, the principle of equivalence, it cannot be excluded that, for the same reason, compliance with the principle of equivalence requires the application of the special procedure when a taxpayer is suspected of VAT fraud.

Consequently, Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax must be interpreted as meaning that it does not preclude the mandatory preliminary application of a national administrative procedure, such as that laid down by Article 63 of the Code of Taxation Procedure and Proceedings (Código de Procedimento e de Processo Tributário), in the event that the revenue authorities suspect the existence of an abusive practice.

Noteworthy