3G license fee tax refunds

3G license fee tax refunds

European mobile operators paid about €100bn for 3G licenses in the 98-02 period. In auctioning or selling at high prices 3G licenses, European governments made huge profits. It is why some mobile operators say that they are owed billions in value-added tax rebates. The UK and Austrian operators are the most active, but their respective governments rejected to refund VAT rebates. Operators are now asking the European Court of Justice to rule the case, and to status that selling licenses is a regular business transaction, subject therefore to a VAT to be returned for business expenses. A final ruling would come at the end of the year.