Dusseldorf Consumers now have to pay VAT on the gas levy that will start in October. Finance Minister Christian Lindner has had the EU Commission examine whether it is possible to suspend the tax. However, this proposal was rejected. A spokesman for the Commission showed understanding for the situation in the Member States, but the directive does not provide for any possibility of exempting the levy from VAT.
Now a discussion begins about alternatives that can relieve consumers. “Many commentators consider it the most likely solution that VAT on gas is reduced and not just on the surcharge,” explains Handelsblatt editor Christoph Herwartz in an interview with Handelsblatt Today host Lena Jesberg. What the other options are and why exactly the Minister of Finance’s proposal failed, both show in today’s program.
Also: According to its own statements, the Russian gas company Gazprom recently exported around 60 percent more to China. “Gazprom wants to send this signal to Europe: We don’t need you,” explains Handelsblatt energy expert Catiana Krapp. The gas company’s plan is to replace the European sales market with the Chinese.
However, a Handelsblatt analysis shows that this is little more than propaganda. “Russia has so far exported very little to China. Europe still gets nine times as much gas as China,” says Krapp. Gazprom is therefore definitely dependent on the West as a customer. A fact that can still benefit Europe.
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More: EU removal for VAT plans: There is no exception for Lindner when it comes to the gas surcharge
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