Not quite true.
The rule of thumb is that VAT is a tax on consumers, not businesses. Of course there are hundreds of exceptions to that.
If you are a British company buying services from Germany then the seller shouldn't charge you a penny, then you charge the British VAT on the purchase and then deduct it if only the purchase is related to _your_ taxable sale(s).
But if you are a British consumer then the seller should charge you the German VAT.
That's the general case, there are exceptions to that and exceptions to exceptions so don't bite me please :)
By the way, the national VAT bills have to be complex simply because they are meant to mirror the EU directive: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:...
