Energy gets expensive in winter, and not just because of the gas surcharge. Forgoing VAT is out of the question for the EU. But the money could be refunded.
After the EU Commission ruled out exceptions to VAT, the federal government is still looking for ways to reduce the gas surcharge. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed on Wednesday in Berlin the goal of structuring the gas levy in such a way that the VAT portion “does not affect consumers”. Possible details were not mentioned. The fact that the federal government could override the veto from Brussels is, according to Hebestreit, “not a viable option”.
According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine” in a letter from Economics Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni to Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), it is not possible for the federal government to request an exemption from the obligation to levy VAT on the gas levy. But there are other options.
Accordingly, Brussels proposes returning the additional VAT revenue directly to households. In this way, targeted support for “particularly vulnerable” households is also possible, quotes the “FAZ” from Gentiloni’s letter dated Wednesday.
Other options would be transfers to the energy companies so that they can then lower the prices for end consumers, charging the lowest permitted VAT rate of five percent or reducing the gas levy.
The federal government continues to work on a solution
With the levy, the federal government wants to relieve gas importers who, because of the restricted deliveries from Russia, have to buy gas elsewhere for a lot of money in order to fulfill their contracts. From October, 90 percent of these additional costs are to be reimbursed. The costs for this are distributed to all gas customers by means of a surcharge.
Teaser picture: Picture Alliance/Sven Simon
VAT must also be added to this surcharge. The federal government had hoped to be able to do without it, but the EU Commission rejected it on Tuesday. A spokesman referred to a corresponding reform of the EU VAT Directive, which was only passed unanimously by the member states last year.
The federal government initially gave no further details. “We are still in talks with the EU Commission,” said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday. “I can’t comment on the individual options today.”
Source: Stern
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