Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 July 2012
63 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance if he will liaise with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to prevent the loss of VAT income to the State through reclaimed VAT on losses incurred in below cost selling of alcohol products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35922/12]
View answerWith regard to the VAT treatment of below cost selling, VAT is a tax on the value added to a supply, and the collection and recovery of VAT takes place at each stage of the chain of supply from manufacturing to retailer. Under EU and domestic VAT rules traders who are registered for VAT collect VAT on the goods and services that they sell. In turn such traders are entitled to recover the VAT they incur on their business inputs used in the purchase or production of goods or delivery of services. Consequently, if there is a decrease in value at any stage in the process the trader is entitled to a refund of the excess of VAT incurred over that collected. In this case, where a retailer is in a situation of net VAT gain as a result of below cost selling, this is not a loss to the Exchequer or an additional benefit to the retailer, it is merely how VAT is charged.
