There will be no VAT on face masks starting May 25th. This announcement has just been made by the Dutch Government. This will be valid for all face masks, both the medical and the regular masks.
State Secretary for Finance Vijlbrief told the Dutch Parliament: “We ask the people to wear non-medical face masks when using public transportation starting June 1st. Many people have found creative ways to create face masks themselves, but most people will probably buy one at their local store. We, as the Government, will make this as affordable as possible of course. Therefore we will temporarily not charge any VAT on that.”
As of June 1st, it will be obligatory to wear a face mask in public transportation, like bus, train and metro, in the Netherlands. As more people will start using public transportation it will be increasingly difficult to maintain the 1.5-meter distance.
Companies Can Still Redeem VAT
The Dutch Tax Authority will change the VAT rate from 21% to 0% on all sales of face masks. By doing so the Tax Authority still enables companies to redeem any VAT they paid to purchase the face masks.
Customs Duty Exemption on Protective Gear
Since March it has been possible to import personal protective gear for use in healthcare institutions with an exemption on customs duty. Companies need to apply for an import permit per shipment of protective gear to be eligible for the exemption.
Happy to Help
If you have any questions on importing facemasks or other protective gear, please contact one of our specialists. They are happy to answer your questions and support you if necessary.
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
