VAT

EC sales list (recapitulative statement)

A periodic report of sales to VAT-registered customers in other EU countries, listing each customer's VAT ID and the total value.

What EC sales list (recapitulative statement) means

The EC sales list, formally the recapitulative statement, is filed by any business making intra-community supplies of goods or cross-border B2B services. It lists every EU customer by VAT ID together with the value supplied in the period and a code showing whether the amount relates to goods, services or triangulation.

Tax authorities exchange the data through the VIES system and match it against the acquisitions declared by the customers, which is how they check that cross-border VAT is being accounted for. Filing is usually monthly or quarterly, and in most countries it must be done electronically. Omitting a sale or using an invalid VAT ID can cost the supplier the exemption. Kontevia collects the VAT IDs from issued invoices so the statement can be prepared from the same data.

Related terms

Intra-community supplyA sale of goods transported from one EU member state to a VAT-registered customer in another. Exempt at origin, taxed as an acquisition at destination.VIES (VAT Information Exchange System)The European Commission's system for checking whether an EU VAT ID is valid. Free to use and required evidence for zero-rated cross-border supplies.VAT identification numberThe number a tax authority assigns to a VAT-registered business. Starts with the country code and is required on invoices and for cross-border trade.Reverse chargeA VAT mechanism where the customer, not the supplier, accounts for the tax. Used for cross-border B2B services and some domestic sectors.Tax returnThe periodic declaration a business files with the tax authority to report its tax base and the tax due. VAT returns are monthly or quarterly; income tax returns are annual.

This entry is general information, not tax advice. Rules change; check the current position with your adviser or the tax authority of your country.

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Rates, thresholds and e-invoicing formats come from the jurisdiction data of your country. You send the document, Kontevia books it and keeps the VAT summary ready.

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