It is generally accepted that taxpayers can expect to be entitled to interest in case of late refunds of taxes and that they are expected to pay interest in the case of late payment of their taxes. (European Commission, Guidelines for a Model for a European Taxpayers’ Code (2016), point 3.3.4., https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/taxation/files/guidelines_for_a_model_for_a_eur opean_taxpayers_code_en.pdf.) In practice, the implementation of these principles raises a number of questions, in particular in the field of VAT, where account has to be taken of the particularities of the VAT system.
EC Tax Review