(Judgment) The specific connection rule for transport services laid down in Article 9(2)(b) of the Sixth Directive 77/388 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes is intended to ensure that each Member State taxes transport services as regards the parts of the journey carried out in its territory. Accordingly, a Member State fails to fulfil its obligations under that provision and Article 2 of the directive where it exempts from value added tax sea voyages in vessels flying the national flag which do not put in at a foreign port as regards the part of the journey within its territorial waters. The defaulting Member State cannot justify its failure in that respect by relying on the practical difficulties confronting it, on the fact that the taxable amounts in question would be negligible, on the absence of the definitive rules for charging VAT on passenger transport provided for in Article 28(5) of the Sixth Directive or on the exemption applying to international maritime transport and trips organized by undertakings from non-member count
Citations:
[1996] EUECJ C-331/94
Links:
Jurisdiction:
European
VAT, Transport
Updated: 03 June 2022; Ref: scu.161481
