The issue of points following a purchase of goods in the course of a customer loyalty program where the customer is entitled to a rebate when making a future purchase does not constitute a voucher within the meaning of Article 30a of the VAT Directive. In the Opinion of the Advocate General there is no (self-standing) obligation to accept those points as consideration for a supply of goods. Therefore, such a bonus system constitutes only a discount on a future purchase.
In a request for a preliminary ruling from the Supreme Tax Court the European Court of Justice was asked to comment on the classification and VAT liability regarding the marketing of prepaid cards or voucher codes used to purchase digital content in an online shop. Specifically, the focus was on the distinction between single-purpose vouchers and multi-purpose vouchers.
In a Swedish reference for a preliminary ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) had a first opportunity to comment on the distinction and VAT treatment of single-purpose vouchers and multi-purpose vouchers in Article 30a of the VAT Directive. According to the ECJ, the city-card of Stockholm can be viewed as a multi-purpose voucher as mentioned in Article 30a (3) VAT Directive, provided it meets the criteria for a voucher as set in Article 30(1) which is finally to be confirmed by the referring court.
