Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to prepare the UK for a potential situation whereby the UK loses access to the EU VAT information sharing system.

The Government’s aim is to keep VAT processes as close as possible to what they are now. This will provide the best continuity and most certainty for businesses and individuals.

The Government supports administrative cooperation and exchange of information between countries, to help combat tax avoidance and evasion. The Government also supports the use of technology to underpin this and to help simplify business burdens more generally.

The Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill therefore provides the ability to enable continued access to, or to adapt, these procedures and IT systems.