UK pays EU €2.6 billion for pre-Brexit VAT fraud failings

The UK government has paid the European Union (EU) €2.6 billion (US$2.8 billion or UK£2.3 billion) to cover pre-Brexit losses on customs and VAT fraud, between 2011 and 2017, that it failed to stop, meaning it underpaid contributions to the bloc's budget.

By Sara Lewis, in Brussels

The UK government has paid the European Union (EU) €2.6 billion (US$2.8 billion or UK£2.3 billion) to cover pre-Brexit losses on customs and VAT fraud, between 2011 and 2017, that it failed to stop, meaning it underpaid contributions to the bloc's budget.