Periodic VAT reporting
On this page
Periodic VAT reporting sends aggregated amounts to the tax authority at regular intervals.
Definition
Periodic VAT reporting is the traditional mechanism by which a business declares and remits VAT to the tax administration at fixed deadlines.
It covers aggregated totals — output VAT, input VAT, net VAT payable — rather than the detail of each individual invoice.
How it works
The frequency (monthly, quarterly or annual) depends on the company's turnover and tax regime.
- The business computes the difference between output VAT and deductible input VAT.
- It files a return and remits the balance due (or claims a credit).
Good to know
This aggregated model gives the tax authority little visibility between deadlines, which makes it vulnerable to VAT fraud.
Real-time reporting and Continuous Transaction Controls schemes are designed precisely to complement or replace periodic reporting with more frequent transactional data.