diff --git a/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb b/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb
index 362f1d65..fdf4a46a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/articles_controller.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class ArticlesController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def new
-    @article = @supplier.articles.build(:tax => 7.0)
+    @article = @supplier.articles.build(:tax => FoodsoftConfig[:tax_default])
     render :layout => false
   end
   
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class ArticlesController < ApplicationController
                                :unit_quantity => row[:unit_quantity],
                                :order_number => row[:number],
                                :deposit => row[:deposit],
-                               :tax => row[:tax])
+                               :tax => (row[:tax] or FoodsoftConfig[:tax_default]))
         # stop parsing, when an article isn't valid
         unless article.valid?
           raise I18n.t('articles.controller.error_parse', :msg => article.errors.full_messages.join(", "), :line => (articles.index(row) + 2).to_s)
diff --git a/config/app_config.yml.SAMPLE b/config/app_config.yml.SAMPLE
index 2436577f..50f1d63b 100644
--- a/config/app_config.yml.SAMPLE
+++ b/config/app_config.yml.SAMPLE
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ default: &defaults
   # price markup in percent
   price_markup: 2.0
 
+  # default vat percentage for new articles
+  tax_default: 7.0
+
   # tolerance order option: If set to false, article tolerance values do not count
   # for total article price as long as the order is not finished.
   tolerance_is_costly: false