Belgische Staat v Ghent Coal Terminal (Judgment): ECJ 15 Jan 1998

Once a right of deduction had been exercised because the inputs were for the purpose of investment work intended to be used in connection with taxable transactions, the authorities may not claim repayment merely because the taxpayer has been unable to use the goods or services for the intended purpose.
‘in principle, the existence of a direct and immediate link between a particular input transaction and a particular output transaction or transactions giving rise to entitlement to deduct is necessary before the taxable person is entitled to deduct input VAT and in order to determine the extent of such entitlement.’

Citations:

Times 04-Feb-1998, C-37/95, [1998] ECR I-1, [1998] EUECJ C-37/95

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC May 1977 Art 17

Jurisdiction:

European

Cited by:

CitedRoyal and Sun Alliance Insurance Group plc v Her Majesty’s Commissioners of Customs and Excise HL 22-May-2003
The landlord had elected to waive exemption to charging VAT on its lettings. The tenant relet the demised premises, but at first without charging VAT. It later charged VAT on the sublease, but the commissioners objected to the attempt of the . .
CitedRevenue and Customs v Frank A Smart and Son Ltd SC 29-Jul-2019
The question was whether a taxpayer can deduct as input tax the VAT which it has incurred in purchasing entitlements to an EU farm subsidy, the Single Farm Payment. The taxpayer had used those entitlements to annual subsidies over several years and . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

VAT, European

Updated: 17 April 2022; Ref: scu.161512