- The EU Court of Justice ruled that municipal compensations to transport operators for public transport services are not subject to VAT.
- This decision could benefit municipalities, transport companies, and passengers.
- Funds previously used for VAT can now improve service quality, such as more frequent or comfortable buses.
- The tax dispute involved significant amounts, estimated at around half a billion PLN in VAT for 2019-2024.
- Similar issues exist in urban and non-commercial rail transport, potentially involving another half a billion PLN annually.
- Municipalities set low ticket prices, leading to compensations to cover transport operators’ costs.
- The Ministry of Finance argued these compensations should be taxed as they relate directly to transport services.
- The court’s decision means these compensations will not be taxed, contrary to the tax authorities’ stance.
Source: podatki.gazetaprawna.pl
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.