EU member states must apply a minimum standard VAT rate of 15%. Most countries also apply one or more reduced rates for essentials such as food, books, medicines, and accommodation. A small number of countries maintain special rates below 5% for specific goods.
Rates change infrequently but do occur โ verify the current rate with the relevant national tax authority for critical decisions. Data above is sourced from the European Commission VAT rates table.
Hungary has the highest standard VAT rate in the EU at 27%. This compares to the EU-required minimum of 15%, with most countries in the 19โ25% range.
The VIES system uses the EU VAT country code EL for Greece, which comes from "Ellada" (ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ) โ the Greek name for Greece. This is different from the ISO 3166-1 code GR used in most other contexts. When validating Greek VAT numbers, you must use the EL prefix.
EU VAT rates change infrequently โ most countries maintain the same standard rate for years. However, temporary reductions, increases, or changes to reduced rate categories do occur, typically tied to budget legislation. Notable recent changes include Estonia increasing its rate to 22% in 2024 and the Czech Republic changing its reduced rate structure in 2024.