Metadata-Version: 1.1
Name: vat
Version: 0.1.1
Summary: A python package for dealing with VAT
Home-page: http://bitbucket.org/al45tair/vat
Author: Alastair Houghton
Author-email: alastair@alastairs-place.net
License: MIT License
Description: ==========
        Python VAT
        ==========
        
        .. image:: https://drone.io/bitbucket.org/al45tair/vat/status.png
           :target: https://drone.io/bitbucket.org/al45tair/vat/latest
           :alt: Build Status
        
        What is this?
        -------------
        
        It’s a package of useful Python code relating to VAT, that’s what.  It
        includes
        
        - Tables mapping ISO alpha 2 country codes to VAT codes and vice-versa
        - Tables of VAT number formats
        - Tables of VAT rates, thresholds and registration periods
        - Support for querying the VIES VAT database system (to check VAT details),
          *including fuzzy matching support for names and addresses*
        - Utility functions for UK VAT (in the vat.gb package), including
        
          * EC sales list XML generation
        
          * Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS) return generation
        
        A few words about VAT
        ---------------------
        
        In the European Union, companies are expected to charge and account for Value
        Added Tax (VAT).  This has a variety of other names (IVA, TVA, MwSt., USt.,
        BTW, ДДС, ΦΠΑ, DPH, PDV, Moms, km, ALV, ÁFA, CBL, PVN, PVM, PTU, DDV, IGIC and
        TAW), but it’s the same basic idea, and the rules are---to some
        extent---harmonised.
        
        From the consumer’s perspective, VAT is a sales tax. However, from a
        business’ perspective, it is not; unlike a sales tax, businesses charge VAT to
        *everybody*, whether or not they are a business customer, and are able to
        offset the VAT they have to pay over to the tax authority against the VAT they
        have themselves paid.
        
        Sounds simple?  Hah!  You have *no* idea.
        
        The first problem is that all of the different countries have their own rates
        for VAT, and most of them have at least two rates that apply to different
        categories of goods and services.  The second problem is cross-border
        transactions; depending on the nature of the transaction, the supplier may or
        may not be expected to charge VAT to the purchaser, and when they do not, the
        purchaser will generally be expected to account for VAT under the “reverse
        charge” rules (essentially by charging himself VAT, which will normally result
        in no payment to the tax authority because the amount to be paid will be
        offset entirely by itself).
        
        There are all kinds of additional complications---some member states operate
        registration thresholds, others don’t; some provide a grace period for
        registration, in others you’ve broken the law if you make a supply that takes
        you over the threshold; some allow you to register and submit returns
        yourself, others require that you hire people to do it for you; and so on.
        
        One further niggle is that **suppliers of electronic services outside of the
        European Union are expected to charge VAT to their European customers**.  Many
        don’t, with the result that their products can be priced more competitively
        than would be possible for a company operating within the European Union.
        
        DISCLAIMER
        ----------
        
        **It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY if you use this code to check that the rates and
        thresholds you are using are the correct ones.  The author cannot be held
        liable for errors in this material, particularly as much of it comes from
        documents on the EU website that may be out of date and that themselves
        include disclaimers.**
        
        Documentation
        -------------
        
        The documentation for this package is available on `Read the Docs
        <http://vat.readthedocs.org/en/latest>`.
        
Platform: UNKNOWN
Classifier: Development Status :: 4 - Beta
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
Classifier: Topic :: Office/Business :: Financial
Provides: vat
