Europos leidėjų federacijos rezoliucija dėl pridėtinės vertės mokesčių tarifo didinimo knygoms

2010-05-31

RESOLUTION BY THE FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN PUBLISHERS ON VAT ON

BOOKS IN LITHUANIA

Brussels, 10 May 2010

FEP represents 26 national associations of book publishers of the European Union and the

European Economic Area and acts on behalf of its members in discussions and negotiations

with the Institutions of the European Union particularly concerning legislation, regulation

and taxation.

FEP would like to invite the Lithuanian authorities to maintain the possibility for books to

enjoy a reduced rate of VAT in their country and not to apply to them the standard rate of

21% at the end of this year. This in fact would soon translate into an increase of prices and as

a consequence in a decrease of readership, bringing about negative effects in cultural, social,

civic and economic terms.

Countries that have raised VAT rates on books abruptly have experienced a serious

disruption of the publishing sector; this can only translate into a contraction of book

consumption, thus seriously affecting any goals in terms of training and education, as well as

of competitiveness and employment.

The value of encouraging a larger readership through the application of reduced rates of VAT

on books has been widely recognised, as a vast majority of EU Members States – 25 out of

27 – have taken advantage of this landmark provision of the European legislation.

Maintaining taxation on books as low as possible will contribute to keep a thriving publishing

sector in Lithuania and will therefore yield positive effects in the middle and long term,

contributing to the recovery from the economic crisis through culture, education and

knowledge-driven growth. On the other hand, the possible benefits of a tax increase in the

short term will be more than offset by the negative effects that will inevitably follow.

We therefore strongly recommend reconsidering the possible increase of VAT on books and

instead continuing to allow Lithuania to reap the benefits of a wide readership and a healthy

publishing sector.

/FEP rezoliuciją taip pat skaitykite čia/

Nariams

Tel.: (370 5) 261 77 40

Faks.: (370 5) 261 77 40

El. paštas: info@lla.lt

A. Jakšto 9-231, LT 01105, Vilnius