Commission proposes extending key anti-VAT fraud tools until June 2030
The proposal responds to calls from Member States, businesses and the European Parliament, and will help countries continue tackling fraud in high-risk sectors while preparing for new digital VAT reporting rules under the[VAT in the Digital Age](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/taxation/vat/vat-digital-age-vida_en)(VIDA)reform measures.
In the EU, VAT fraud is still a serious issue that causes countries to lose public money. The Commission wants to give EU countries more time to use fast and practical anti-fraud VAT measures until the full long-term EU VAT reform is in place. The measures are mostly used to tackle missing trader fraud. Member States already have twotools in place to fight this type of fraud, which were due to expire on 30 June 2026. However, while the EU continues working on broader, long-term reforms of the VAT system, the proposal is to keep these anti-fraud measures available for four more years. The Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) allows Member States, in a number of pre-defined fraud-sensitive sectors, to shift the responsibility for paying VAT from the seller to the buyer, which can make certain types of fraud much harder. In addition, the Quick Reaction Mechanism (QRM) offers the possibility to Member States, under strict conditions, to also apply the reverse charge mechanism in cases whereby sudden and massive fraud would be detected in other sectors. In the future, under VIDA’s Digital Reporting Requirements, there will be mandatory e-invoicing and real time reporting for cross-border supplies. In the meantime, Member States can introduce domestic e-invoicing requirements to better control the fraud risks. The proposal will now be discussed by the Council. Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards the extension of the application period of the optional reverse charge mechanism in relation to
9 October 2026
Publication date
9 October 2026
Author
[Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union](https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/taxation-and-customs-union_en)
