- From January 1, 2024, the regular VAT rate of 19% will apply to restaurant vouchers.
- The reduced VAT rate of 7% for restaurant services was introduced in July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was extended until December 31, 2023.
- With the increase in VAT, restaurants may have to pass on the higher costs to customers, making dining out more expensive.
- The price of a meal that currently costs 15 euros with 7% VAT will increase to 17.85 euros with 19% VAT.
- The treatment of restaurant vouchers depends on whether they are single-purpose vouchers or multi-purpose vouchers.
- Single-purpose vouchers purchased before December 2023 will be taxed at the reduced rate of 7%, regardless of when they are redeemed.
- Multi-purpose vouchers that can be used for both food and drinks will be taxed at the new rate of 19% when redeemed from January 1, 2024.
- Vouchers issued after January 1, 2024, will be taxed at the standard rate of 19%.
- It may be beneficial to redeem multi-purpose vouchers before January 1, 2024, to take advantage of the lower VAT rate.
Source: nwb-experten-blog.de
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
