NETHERLANDS - Akkie Lansberg, managing director of the Dutch Holland Financial Centre (HFC), has revealed she is "confident" the value-added tax (VAT) on asset management services sought by pension funds will be abolished in the near future.
Lansberg, who was on a short visit to London for a presentation about HFC as an organisation, told IPE this morning the VAT on asset management charges is still an obstacle to pension funds and a pan-European pension industry.
"In some areas, we have an unfair arrears in comparison to other countries. VAT on asset management is one of these areas," she said.
"I am confident that this issue will be resolved soon," she added.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said earlier this year suggestions the Dutch government could immediately abolish VAT on asset management services sought by pension funds were untrue, arguing the decision-making process could take years. (See earlier IPE article: Dutch VAT exemption 'may take years)
Apart from aiming to get the Netherlands to catch up with other European countries, HFC is campaigning for a lowering of administrative costs, and for the creation of a more fiscally-attractive climate.
Lansberg - who stressed HFC is strictly a no lobbying-club as the government is part of the initiative - also said the organisation is close to launching its planned pension desk, scheduled for launch early next year.
The pension desk is hoping to become a central point of contact geared towards providing service and assistance to financial services companies, and to promoting transparency for those active in this market, in both the Netherlands and abroad.
If you have any comments you would like to add to this or any other story, contact Carolyn Bandel on +44 (0)20 7261 4622 or email carolyn.bandel@ipe.com
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