Many companies only realise the importance of verifying their business partners and the existence of related documentation during a tax authority audit, when they are required to present their contracting procedure and, for certain business partners selected by the tax authority, their due diligence documentation. However, the outcome of the tax audit is often a tax authority report and decision in which the tax authority - citing certain objective circumstances and lack of due diligence - denies the right to deduct VAT included in the invoice received, and imposes a tax penalty, even though performance was duly made. This is because the legal regulations require a preliminary business due diligence procedure to ensure that the content of the invoice is authentic, i.e. that the actual performance is consistent with the invoice.
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