Streaming of films and music will be subject to VAT
Published: Monday, Dec 11th 2023, 20:50
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In future, anyone who streams films or music will have to pay VAT for this service in Switzerland. The Swiss parliament has instructed the Federal Council to draw up a corresponding amendment to the Federal Value Added Tax Act.
On Monday, the National Council tacitly approved a motion by the Council of States' Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation (WAK-S) with this demand. The Council of States had already said yes to the motion in May.
It is not the providers of electronic services that will be subject to VAT, but the platform through which the services are provided. In future, the downloading of software and apps will also be subject to VAT.
The Federal Council agreed with the adoption of the motion. If the streaming of films or music also became subject to VAT, this would improve the equal tax treatment of electronic services, it wrote last May.
Last June, the Swiss parliament passed amendments to the VAT Act, according to which foreign online mail order companies will have to pay VAT on their Swiss sales in future.
The Federal Council has described these changes as more important than those for streaming films and music and for downloading software and apps.
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