Imposing material fines on errors that have no impact on VAT revenue is unfair and we concluded that such penalties would most likely not pass the test of the European Court of Justice.
Besides penalties, Member States also appear to impose a wide range of country specific interest rates for late payment of VAT.
These charges range from 0.1 % to 1.85 % per month (equalling an annual interest rate of between 1.2 % and 23.9 %). The average rate is approx. 0.63 % per month (7.8 % annually).
Source VATconsult
See also Reverse charge penalties: which Member State is the penalty champion?
Latest Posts in "European Union"
- Recent ECJ/General Court VAT Jurisprudence and Implications for EU Compliance (November 2025)
- Navigating VAT Exemptions: Recent ECJ Judgments and Their Implications for Intra-Community Transactions and Imports
- Review of the VAT treatment of Transfer Pricing adjustments
- EU VAT Rate Changes in 2026: Key Updates for Finland, Lithuania, and Germany
- Amazon Phases Out Commingling: New FNSKU Barcodes Reshape Fulfilment and VAT Compliance













