US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA598

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EU TAXATION OF U.S. ASSISTANCE

Identifier: 04BRATISLAVA598
Wikileaks: View 04BRATISLAVA598 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Bratislava
Created: 2004-06-17 15:02:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: KSCA TSPL PREL EAID LO EUN
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000598 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSCA, TSPL, PREL, EAID, LO, EUN 
SUBJECT: EU TAXATION OF U.S. ASSISTANCE 
 
REF: STATE 129219 
 
ON JUNE 16, ECONOFF SPOKE WITH THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE'S 
DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR TAXES AND CUSTOMS, BRANISLAV DURAJKA, 
AND THE DIRECTOR FOR INDIRECT TAXES, ADRIAN BELANIK, PER 
REFTEL. OUR DISCUSSION SHOWED THAT THIS SUBJECT HAD NOT YET 
BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE GOS, BUT DURAJKA SAID 
THE SLOVAKS WOULD ENGAGE THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON THIS 
SUBJECT.  HE EMPHASIZED THAT A DECISION MUST BE MADE ON A 
EUROPE-WIDE BASIS, BUT THAT LAWS COULD BE CHANGED.  HE 
DEFENDED THE PHILOSOPHY THAT IF ASSISTANCE FUNDS COULD ENTER 
A COUNTRY FREE OF VAT, BUT THE GOODS THEY BOUGHT WOULD BE 
    CHARGED VAT, THEN THERE EXISTED A RATIONALE FOR CHARGING VAT 
FOR COMMODITIES GIVEN AS ASSISTANCE.  HOWEVER, HE SUGGESTED 
AN EXCLUSIVE U.S.-EU AGREEMENT COULD POSSIBLY BE ARRANGED TO 
AVOID CHARGES ON ALL FORMS OF ASSISTANCE. 
WEISER 
 
NNNN 

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