Companies which make transactions worth more than €200,000 per year will have to file monthly VAT declarations

The Commission claims that "these measures will not impose an additional administrative burden on economic operators".

Please do a follow-up article on the workings of the bureaucratic mind that uttered these two statements. Feel free to use interview techniques, EEG's or, as a last resort, dissection to pursue material for the article.

So the criminals that aren't going to pay the VAT anyway must now not pay within 1 month rather than not pay within 3months?

Or are they just hoping to make up the losses with fines on legitimate companies that have better things to do than work on VAT returns all day.

Those of us with a modicom of intelligence realise that this;

a) Won't deter the crims ("So the criminals that aren't going to pay the VAT anyway must now not pay within 1 month rather than not pay within 3months?")

b) The 'public' won't give a toss about any REAL problems this will cause for small-medium sized businesses ("these measures will not impose an additional administrative burden on economic operators".)

It's a bit like trawling. The smaller you make the holes in the net, the less fish escape. This is exactly what GB has spent the last decade trying to do. He just hasn't figured out that if you 'overfish', you end up with no fish left to catch!

As long as "The Masses" think they're doing something positive...

It doesnt work like you suggested at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_trader_fraud

It would have been stopped almost immediately if (a) it wasn't an EU issue but a national one, but (2) the EU now controls the VAT tax regime so governments are powerless, and (c) the EU can't agree on ANYTHING easily, and (iii) it's a stupid French tax anyway, (0) sales tax was much easier and less prone to fraud, (IX) anyway the EU is no paragon, as its books haven't been signed off as correct and fraud free for yonks, and (D) The EU runs us all now so we are completely screwed.

Absolutely par for the course for government types :

They have problems, so hey presto, impose difficulties and costs on the guys just trying to work and do business.

Nothing here that will in any way improve the situation or stop the problems.

Just be seen to do something, and pick on the easiest target you can see.