MEP David Casa was on Thursday appointed as the European Parliament’s (EP) rapporteur on the possibility of introducing a common system of value added tax on invoicing.

The EP Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs will in the next few weeks discuss this Commission’s proposal which aims to increase the use of electronic invoicing in order to reduce burdens on businesses, in particular on SMEs.

This proposal aims at helping member states combat fraud by simplifying, harmonising and modernising the VAT invoicing rules. The Commission would like to eliminate the distinction between paper and electronic invoices in the VAT Directive, thereby removing the current barriers to e-invoicing. It is proposing a widening of the use of simplified invoicing for smaller values, for business to consumer (B2C) supplies and for certain VAT exempt supplies where the risk of fraud is limited.

As rapporteur, Mr Casa will be responsible for drawing up a report establishing the position of the European Parliament on the Commission’s proposal.