VAT Rates in Europe
The following table shows the VAT rates in the EU member states at January 1st 2011:
| Member States | Code | Reduced Rate * | Standard Rate |
| Belgium | BE | 6 / 12 | 21 |
| Bulgaria | BG | 7 | 20 |
| Czech Republic | CZ | 10 | 20 |
| Denmark | DK | - | 25 |
| Germany | DE | 7 | 19 |
| Estonia | EE | 9 | 20 |
| Greece | EL | 6,5/13 | 23 |
| Spain | ES | 8 | 18 |
| France | FR | 5,5 | 19,6 |
| Ireland | IE | 13,5 | 21 |
| Italy ** | IT | 10 | 20 |
| Cyprus | CY | 5 / 8 | 15 |
| Latvia | LV | 12 | 22 |
| Lithuania | LT | 5 / 9 | 21 |
| Luxembourg | LU | 6 / 12 | 15 |
| Hungary | HU | 5 / 18 | 25 |
| Malta | MT | 5 | 18 |
| Netherlands | NL | 6 | 19 |
| Austria | AT | 10 | 20 |
| Poland | PL | 5 / 8 | 23 |
| Portugal | PT | 6 / 13 | 23 |
| Romania | RO | 5 / 9 | 24 |
| Slovenia | SI | 8,5 | 20 |
| Slovakia | SK | 10 | 20 |
| Finland | FI | 9 / 13 | 23 |
| Sweden | SE | 6 / 12 | 25 |
| United Kingdom | UK | 5 | 20 |
* Most EU members have reduced VAT rates for products and services that are considered essential (e.g. food, public transportation, health care services, publishing, heating etc).
** The Italian Ministry of Economy has approved an increase in the VAT rate from 20% to 21%, effective from September 17, 2011. This emergency decree aims to cut the Italian deficit and balance the budget by 2013.