In its decision in Hamamatsu Photonics Deutschland (C-529/16) the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held that Articles 28 to 31 of the Customs Code (old version) must be interpreted as meaning that they do not permit an agreed transaction value, composed of an amount initially invoiced and declared and a flat-rate adjustment made after the end of the accounting period, to form the basis for the customs value, without it being possible to know at the end of the accounting period whether that adjustment would be made up or down.
In a Hungarian case the European Court of Justice had to review the obligation of the Member States to provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for failure to comply with the customs legislation and held that a fine corresponding to 50% of the shortfall in customs duties is in accordance with the principle of proportionality.
The Supreme Tax Court has asked the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a preliminary ruling regarding the entry of a sailing boat into the economic network of the Union. One of the questions referred to the ECJ is whether a means of transport enters the economic cycle of the Union if it is not used as such in a Member State but rather a service (here: maintenance and repair work) is carried out at the boat.
