Tag Archives: charity

VAT: Property – The Option To Tax

By   13 March 2019
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Opting To Tax commercial property

Opting to tax provides a unique situation in the VAT world. It is the only example of where a supplier can choose to add VAT to a supply….. or not.

What is an option to tax?

The sale or letting of a property is, in most cases, exempt (VAT free) by default. However, it is possible to apply the option to tax (OTT) to commercial property. This has the result of turning an exempt supply into a taxable supply at the standard rate. It should be noted that an OTT made in respect of a residential property is disregarded and consequently, the supply of residential properties is always exempt.

Why opt?

Why would a supplier then deliberately choose to add VAT on a supply?

The only purpose of OTT is to enable the optor to recover or avoid input tax incurred in relation to the relevant land or property. The OTT is a decision solely for the property owner or landlord and the purchaser or tenant is not able to affect the OTT unless specific clauses are included in the lease or purchase contracts. Care should be taken to ensure that existing contracts permit the OTT to be taken.  Despite a lot of misleading commentary and confusion, it is worth bearing in mind that the recovery or avoidance of input tax is the sole reason to OTT.

Once made the OTT is usually irrevocable for a 20-year period (although there are circumstances where it may be revisited within six months of it being taken – see below).  There are specific rules for circumstances where the optor has previously made exempt supplies of the relevant land or property. In these cases, HMRC’s permission must usually be obtained before the option can be made.

What to consider

The important questions to be asked before a property transaction are:

  • Was VAT incurred on the purchase price?
  • Is the purchase with the benefit of an existing lease (will the tenant remain?) if so, it may be possible to treat the transaction as a VAT free TOGC (see below)
  • Is the property subject to the Capital Goods Scheme (CGS here)?
  • Is it intended to spend significant amounts on the property, eg; refurbishment?
  • What other costs will be incurred in respect of the property?
  • If renting the property out – will the lease granted be full tenant repairing?
  • Will the tenant or purchaser be in a position to recover any or all VAT charged on the rent/sale?

These are the basic questions to be addressed; further factors may need to be considered depending on the facts of a transaction.

Input tax recovery

Input tax relating to an exempt supply is usually irrecoverable. In fact, a business only making exempt supplies is unable to register for VAT. A guide to partial exemption here. So input tax incurred on, say; purchase, refurbishment, legal costs etc would be lost if a property was sold or rented on an exempt basis. In order to recover this tax, it must relate to a taxable supply. If an OTT is taken, the sale or rent of the property will be standard rated which represents a taxable supply. VAT on supply = input tax claim.

Two-part process

The OTT is a two-part process.

  • The first part is a decision of the business to take the OTT and it is prudent to minute this in Board meeting minutes or similar. Once the decision to OTT is taken VAT may be added to a sale price or rent and a valid tax invoice must be raised.
  • The second part is to formally notify HMRC. If the OTT is straightforward the form on which this is done is a VAT1614A. Here. In some cases, it is necessary to obtain HMRC’s permission in which case separate forms are required. HMRC guidance here – para 5.

There can be problems in cases where the OTT is taken, but not formally notified.

Timing

It is vital to ensure that an OTT is made at the correct time. Even one day late may affect the VAT treatment. Generally speaking, the OTT must be made before any use of the property, eg; sale or rent. Care should also be taken with deposits which can trigger a tax point before completion.

Disadvantages

As mentioned above (and bears repeating) the benefit of taking the OTT is the ability to recover input tax which would otherwise fall to be irrecoverable. However, there are a number of potential disadvantages.

  • opting a commercial property may reduce its marketability. It is likely that entities which are unable to recover VAT would be less inclined to purchase or lease an opted property. These entities may be; partly exempt business, those not VAT registered, or charities/NFP organisations.
  • the payment of VAT by the purchaser may necessitate obtaining additional funding. This may create problems, especially if a VAT charge was not anticipated. Even though, via opting, the VAT charge is usually recoverable, it still has to be paid for up-front.
  • an OTT will increase the amount of SDLT payable when a property is sold. This is always an absolute cost.

Transfer of a Going Concern (TOGC)

I always say that advice should be taken in all property transactions and always in cases of a TOGC or a possible TOGC. This is doubly important where an opted building is being sold, because TOGC treatment only applies to a sale of property when specific tests are met. A TOGC is VAT free but any input tax incurred is recoverable, so this is usually a benefit for all parties.

Revoking an Option To Tax

  • The cooling off period – If an OTT has been made and the opter changes his/her mind within six months it can be revoked. This is as long as no tax has become chargeable on a supply of the land, that no TOGC has occurred, and the OTT has actually been notified to HMRC. There are additional considerations in certain cases, so these always need to be checked.
  • No interest has been held for more than six years – An OTT is revoked where the opter has not held an interest in the opted building for a continuous period of six years. The revocation is automatic, and no notification is required.
  • 20 years – It is possible to revoke an OTT which was made more than 20 years ago. Certain conditions must be met, and advice should be taken on how such a revocation affects future input tax recovery.

Summary

Property transactions are high value and often complex. The cost of getting VAT wrong or overlooking it can be very swingeing indeed. I have also seen deals being aborted over VAT issues.  of course, if you get it wrong there are penalties to pay too. For these reasons, please seek VAT advice at an early stage of negotiations.

More on our land and property services here

What VAT CAN’T you claim?

By   3 January 2019
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The majority of input tax incurred by most VAT registered businesses may be recovered.  However, there is some input tax that may not be.  I thought it would be helpful if I pulled together all of these categories in one place:

Blocked VAT claims – an overview

  •  No supporting evidence

In most cases this evidence will be an invoice (or as the rules state “a proper tax invoice)” although it may be import, self-billing or other documentation in specific circumstances.  A claim is invalid without the correct paperwork.  HMRC may accept alternative evidence, however, they are not duty bound to do so (and rarely do).  So ensure that you always obtain and retain the correct documentation.

  • Incorrect supporting evidence

Usually this is an invalid invoice, or using a delivery note/statement/pro forma in place of a proper tax invoice. To support a claim an invoice must show all the information set out in the legislation.  HMRC are within their rights to disallow a claim if any of the details are missing.  A full guide is here

  •  Input tax relating to exempt supplies

Broadly speaking, if a business incurs VAT in respect of exempt supplies it cannot recover it.  If a business makes only exempt supplies it cannot even register for VAT.  There is a certain easement called de minimis which provide for recovery if the input tax is below certain prescribed limits. Input tax which relates to both exempt and taxable activities must be apportioned. More details of partial exemption may be found here

  •  Input tax relating to non-business activities

If a charity or NFP entity incurs input tax in connection with non-business activities this cannot be recovered and there is no de minimis relief.  Input tax which relates to both business and non-business activities must be apportioned. Business versus non-business apportionment must be carried out first and then any partial exemption calculation for the business element if appropriate. More details here 

  •  Time barred

If input tax is not reclaimed within four years of it being incurred, the capping provisions apply and any claim will be rejected by HMRC.

  •  VAT incurred on business entertainment

This is always irrecoverable unless the client or customer being entertained belongs overseas.  The input tax incurred on staff entertainment costs is however recoverable.

  •  Car purchase

In most cases the VAT incurred on the purchase of a car is blocked. The only exceptions are for when the car; is part of the stock in trade of a motor manufacturer or dealer, or is used primarily for the purposes of taxi hire; self-drive hire or driving instruction; or is used exclusively for a business purpose and is not made available for private use. This last category is notoriously difficult to prove to HMRC and the evidence to support this must be very good.

  •  Car leasing

If a business leases a car for business purposes it will normally be unable to recover 50% of the VAT charged.  The 50% block is to cover the private use of the car.

  •  A business using certain schemes

For instance, a business using the Flat rate Scheme cannot recover input tax except for certain large capital purchases, also there are certain blocks for recovery on TOMS users

  •  VAT charged in error

Even if you obtain an invoice purporting to show a VAT amount, this cannot be recovered if the VAT was charged in error; either completely inappropriately or at the wrong rate.  A business’ recourse is with the supplier and not HMRC.

  •  Goods and services not used for your business

Even if a business has an invoice addressed to it and the services or goods are paid for by the business, the input tax on the purchase is blocked if the supply is not for business use.  This may be because the purchase is for personal use, or by another business or for purposes not related to the business.

  • VAT paid on goods and services obtained before VAT registration

This is not input tax and therefore is not claimable.  However, there are exceptions for goods on hand at registration and which were purchased within four years of registration, and services received within six months of registration if certain conditions are met.

  •  VAT incurred by property developers

Input tax incurred on certain articles that are installed in buildings which are sold or leased at the zero rate is blocked.

  •  Second hand goods

Goods sold to you under one of the VAT second-hand schemes will not show a separate VAT charge and no input tax is recoverable on these goods.

  •  Transfer of a going concern (TOGC)

Assets of a business transferred to you as a going concern are not deemed to be a supply for VAT purposes and consequently, there is no VAT chargeable and therefore no input tax to recover.

  •  Disbursements

A business cannot reclaim VAT when it pays for goods or services to be supplied directly to its client. However, in this situation the VAT may be claimable by the client if they are VAT registered. For more on disbursements see here

  •  VAT incurred overseas

A business cannot reclaim VAT charged on goods or services that it has bought from suppliers in other EU States. Only UK VAT may be claimed on a UK VAT return. There is however, a mechanism available to claim this VAT back from the relevant authorities in those States. Details here. However, in most cases, supplies received from overseas suppliers are VAT free, so it is usually worth checking whether any VAT has been charged correctly.

VAT – A Christmas Tale

By   17 December 2018
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Well, it is Christmas…. and at Christmas tradition dictates that you repeat the same nonsense every year….

Dear Marcus

My business, if that is what it is, has become large enough for me to fear that HMRC might take an interest in my activities.  May I explain what I do and then you can write to me with your advice?  If you think a face to face meeting would be better, I can be found in most decent sized department stores from mid-September to 24 December.

First of all, I am based in Greenland, but I do bring a stock of goods, mainly toys, to the UK and I distribute them.  Am I making supplies in the UK?

If I do this for philanthropic reasons, am I a charity, and if so, does that mean I do not pay VAT?

The toys are of course mainly for children and I wonder if zero rating might apply?  I have heard that small T shirts are zero rated so what about a train set – it is small and intended for children. Does it matter if adults play with it? My friend Rudolph has told me that there is a peculiar rule about gifts.  He says that if I give them away regularly and they cost more than £150 I might have to account for VAT.  Is that right?

My next question concerns barter transactions.  Dads often leave me a food item such as a mince pie and a drink and there is an unwritten rule that I should then leave something in return.  If I’m given Tesco’s own brand sherry I will leave polyester underpants but if I’m left a glass of Glenfiddich I will be more generous and leave best woollen socks.  Have I made a supply and what is the value please?  My feeling is that the food items are not solicited so VAT might not be due and, in any event; isn’t food zero-rated, or is it catering? Oh, and what if the food is hot?

Transport is a big worry for me.  Lots of children ask me for a ride on my airborne transport.  I suppose I could manage to fit twelve passengers in.  Does that mean my services are zero-rated?  If I do this free of charge will I need to charge air passenger duty?  Does it matter if I stay within the UK, or the EU?  My transport is the equivalent of six horse power and if I refuel with fodder in the UK will I be liable for fuel scale charges?  After dropping the passengers off I suppose I will be accused of using fuel for the private journey back home.  Somebody has told me that if I buy hay labelled as animal food I can avoid VAT but if I buy the much cheaper bedding hay I will need to pay VAT.  Please comment.

May I also ask about VAT registration?  I know the limit is £85,000 per annum but do blips count?  If I do make supplies at all, I do nothing for 364 days and then, in one day (well night really) I blast through the limit and then drop back to nil turnover.  May I be excused from registration?  If I do need to register should I use AnNOEL Accounting?  At least I can get only one penalty per annum if I get the sums wrong.

I would like to make a claim for input tax on clothing.  I feel that my red clothing not only protects me from the extreme cold, but it is akin to a uniform and should be allowable.  These are not clothes that I would choose to wear except for my fairly unusual job.  If lady barristers can claim for black skirts, I think I should be able to claim for red dress.  And what about my annual haircut?  That costs a fortune.  I only let my hair grow that long because it is expected of me.

Insurance worries me too.  You know that I carry some very expensive goods on my transport.  Play Stations, Mountain Bikes, i-pads and Accrington Stanley replica shirts for example.  My parent company in Greenland takes out insurance there and they make a charge to me.  If I am required to register for VAT in England will I need to apply the Reverse Charge?  This seems to be a daft idea if I understand it correctly.  Does it mean I have to charge myself VAT on something that is not VATable and then claim it back again?

Next you’ll be telling me that Father Christmas isn’t real……….

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Education – New funding rules impact on VAT

By   9 December 2018
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The government has announced it will amend the VAT law from 1 August 2019 to ensure continuity of VAT treatment for English Higher Education (HE) providers under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. The change in legislation applies to English HE providers who register with the Office for Students (OfS) in the Approved (fee cap) category.

Background

VAT exemption currently applies to UK universities and their colleges, institutions conducted by higher education corporations (HECs) and other institutions that are designated as eligible to receive support from central funding.

There are changes to the way that HE providers are funded by the OfS from the start of the 2019 to 2020 academic year. These changes require an amendment to be made to the statutory definition of an eligible body in Note 1(c) of Group 6 of Schedule 9 to the VAT Act 1994.

Paragraph 4.1 of VAT Notice 701/30 (Education and Vocational training) explains that an eligible body includes ‘a school, university, sixth form college, tertiary college or further education (FE) college or other centrally funded higher or FE institution’ (defined as such under the Education Acts).

Revised VAT treatment

Note 1(c) to Group 6 of Schedule 9 to the VAT Act 1994 is being amended in respect of HE institutions in England (only).

The exemptions that relate to FE will be unaffected, although some providers of FE that also provide HE may register with the OfS in the Approved (fee cap) category.

Note 1(c) currently refers to bodies that fall within subsections 91(5)(b) and (c) of the Further and Higher Education Act (FHEA) 1992, but subsection 91(5)(c) of FHEA 1992 will no longer apply to England once the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 fully commences.

Sub-section 91(5)(b) of FHEA 1992 will be amended so that this only applies to institutions in Wales.

In order to be bodies entitled to exempt their supplies, those English HE providers who are currently exempt by virtue of being HECs or designated institutions will in future need to be registered by the OfS in the Approved (fee cap) category.

All English HE providers who will become registered in the Approved (fee cap) category will also become entitled to exempt their supplies in future.

The overall impact of the change is to ensure that those HE providers that are currently eligible to receive central funding can continue to exempt their supplies of education.

institutions which currently fall within section 91 FHEA 1992 will have to show that they are registered with the Office for Students in order to exempt their services

HEMore details are available in VAT Information Sheet 08/18

See our education offering here

VAT: Are sales from Student Union shops exempt?

By   5 November 2018
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Latest from the courts

In the Upper Tribunal (UT) case of Loughborough Students’ Union (LSU) the issue was whether sales of certain goods from Student Union shops were exempt as being closely related to education. This case is a practical issue considering the exemption I set out recently here

The two issues before the UT were:

  • were the shops eligible bodies, and
  • were the sales closely related to education supplies?

 Background

The appeal by LSU was against a decision of the First-Tier Tribunal (FTT) dismissing its appeal against HMRC’s decision to deny its claim for repayment of output tax in respect of sales of; stationery, art materials and other items from the shops which LSU operates on campus.

Legislation

The legislation (where relevant to this case) is:

VAT Act 1994, Group 6, Item No 1, item 4

1 The provision by an eligible body of (a) education; …

4 The supply of any goods or services (other than examination services) which are closely related to a supply of a description falling within item 1 (the principal supply) by or to the eligible body making the principal supply…

Decision

Not surprisingly, the appeal was dismissed. because even if LSU was an eligible body (which the judge was doubtful about) the exemption only applied to an eligible body which itself provided education, which clearly LSU did not. Consequently, the supplies for which exemption was sought were not closely related to any principal supply. Further, the judge was not persuaded that even if the supplies were closely connected to education, that they were essential (as required) to education. Food, newspapers and household goods for eg, are “ends in themselves” and not ancillary to education; the education provided by the University would be just as good if the students did not buy these items from the LSU shops.

Commentary

The appeal seems to have been a long-shot and predictably, it failed. Care must always be taken with the VAT treatment of goods and services closely connected to education. This is an area I am often asked for an opinion on by schools, academies, colleges and universities and there is not one single one-size fits all answer.

Our offering to education bodies here

VAT – Charity Fundraising Exemption

By   17 August 2018
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Avoid adding VAT to fundraising income

There are very few VAT reliefs for charities (and it may be argued that an exemption is more than a burden than a relief) but there is an exemption for a charity which qualifies as undertaking a one-off fundraising event. The criteria are quite restrictive, and it is important that the correct treatment is applied. Furthermore, it may be in a charity’s interest to avoid the exemption if there is a lot of input tax attributable to the event, say; venue hire, entertainment, catering etc.

A qualifying event means that a charity (or its trading subsidiary) does not charge VAT on money paid for admittance to that event.

What is covered?

In order to be exempt, the event must be a one-off fundraising event which is “any event organised and promoted primarily to raise funds (monetary or otherwise) for a charity”. Consequently, we always advise clients to make it clear on tickets and advertising material (including online) that the event is for raiding funds and to use a statement; “all profits will be used to support the charitable aims of XYZ” or similar.

HMRC say that an event is an incident with an outcome or a result. This means that activities of a semi-regular or continuous nature, such as the operation of a shop or bar, cannot therefore be an event.

The following are examples of the kind of event which qualify:

  • ball, dinner dance, disco or barn dance
  • performance – concert, stage production and any other event which has a paying audience
  • showing of a film
  • fete, fair or festival
  • horticultural show
  • exhibition: art, history or science
  • bazaar, jumble sale, car boot sale, or good-as-new sale
  • sporting participation (including spectators): sponsored walk or swim
  • sporting performance
  • game of skill, contest or a quiz
  • participation in an endurance event
  • fireworks display
  • dinner, lunch or barbecue
  • an auction of bought in goods

Tip

Often there may be an auction of donated goods at a fundraising event. There is a specific and helpful relief for such sales. The sale of donated goods is zero rated which means any attributable input tax is recoverable. Consequently, if both exempt and zero rated supplies are made it is possible to apportion input tax to a charity’s benefit. Zero rating may also apply to sales such as: food (not catering) printed matter and children’s clothing

Limit to the number of events held

Eligible events are restricted to 15 events of the same kind in a charity’s financial year at any one location. The restriction prevents distortion of competition with other suppliers of similar events which do not benefit from the exemption. If a charity holds 16 or more events of the same kind at the same location during its financial year none of the events will qualify for exemption. However, the 15-event limit does not apply to fundraising events where the gross takings from all similar events, such as coffee mornings, are no more than £1,000 per week.

Clearly, the number of events needs to be monitored and planning will therefore be available should exemption be desired (or avoided as the relevant figures dictate).

What is a charity?

This seems to be a straightforward question in most cases, but can cause difficulties, so it is worthwhile looking at the VAT rules here.

Bodies have charitable status when they are:

  • registered, excepted or exempted from registration with the Charity Commission in England and Wales
  • registered by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) in Scotland
  • invited to register by The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland which are treated by HMRC as charitable.

Not all non-profit making organisations are charities. The term ‘charity’ has no precise definition in any law. Its scope has been determined by case law. It is therefore necessary to establish whether an organisation is a charity using the following guidelines:

  • charities are non-profit distributing bodies established to advance education, advance religion, relieve poverty, sickness or infirmity or carry out certain other activities beneficial to the community
  • in England and Wales charities must normally register with Charity Commission- some very small charities don’t need to register with Charity Commission, there are also some other special cases where particular bodies do not need to register, if there is uncertainty regarding a position see the Charity Commission website
  • in Scotland all charities must be registered with the OSCR – HMRC decides whether bodies in Northern Ireland are eligible.

Trading arm

It is worth noting that HMRC also accept that a body corporate which is wholly owned by a charity and whose profits are payable to a charity, will qualify and may therefore may apply the VAT exemption to fundraising events. This means that a charity’s own trading company can hold exempt fundraising events on behalf of the charity.

Further/alternative planning

If sales are not exempt as a fundraising event, there is a way to avoid VAT being chargeable on all income received. It is open to a charity to set a basic minimum charge which will be standard rated, and to invite those attending the event to supplement this with a voluntary donation.

The extra contributions will be outside the scope of VAT (not exempt) if all the following conditions are met:

  • it is clearly stated on all publicity material, including tickets, that anyone paying only the minimum charge will be admitted without further payment
  • the extra payment does not give any particular benefit (for example, admission to a better position in the stadium or auditorium)
  • the extent of further contributions is ultimately left to ticket holders to decide, even if the organiser indicates a desired level of donation
  • for film or theatre performances, concerts, sporting fixtures etc, the minimum charge is not less than the usual price of the particular seats at a normal commercial event of the same type
  • for dances, and similar functions, the minimum total sum upon which the organisers are liable to account for VAT is not less than their total costs incurred in arranging the event

It should be noted that any other donations collected at an event are also outside the scope of VAT.

Partial exemption

A charity must recognise the impact of making exempt supplies (as well as carrying out non-business activity). These undertakings will have an impact on the amount of input tax a charity is able to recover. Details here

Summary

We find that charities are often confused about the rules and consequently fail to take advantage of the VAT position. This also extends to school academies which are all charities. It is usually worthwhile for charities to carry out a VAT review of its activities as quite often VAT savings can be identified.

VAT Reliefs for Charities. A brief guide.

By   16 July 2018
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Charities and Not For Profit entities – a list of VAT reliefs

Unfortunately, there is no “general” rule that charities are relieved of the burden of VAT.

In fact, charities have to contend with VAT in much the same way as any business. However, because of the nature of a charity’s activities, VAT is not usually “neutral” and often becomes an additional cost. VAT for charities often creates complex and time consuming technical issues which a “normal” business does not have to consider.

There are only a relatively limited number of zero rated reliefs specifically for charities and not for profit bodies, so it is important that these are taken advantage of. These are broadly:

    • Advertising services received by charities
    • Purchase of qualifying goods for medical research, treatment or diagnosis
    • New buildings constructed for residential or non-business charitable activities
    • Self-contained annexes constructed for non-business charitable activities
    • Building work to provide disabled access in certain circumstances
    • Building work to provide washrooms and lavatories for disabled persons
    • Supplies of certain equipment designed to provide relief for disabled or chronically sick persons

There are also special exemptions available for charities:

    • Income from fundraising events
    • Admissions to certain cultural events and premises
    • Relief from “Options to Tax” on the lease and acquisition of buildings put to non-business use
    • Membership subscriptions to certain public interest bodies and philanthropic associations
    • Sports facilities provided by non-profit making bodies

Although treating certain income as exempt from VAT may seem attractive to a charity, it nearly always creates an additional cost as a result of the amount of input tax which may be claimed being restricted. Partial exemption is a complex area of the tax, as are calculations on business/non-business activities which fundamentally affect a charity’s VAT position.

The reduced VAT rate (5%) is also available for charities in certain circumstances:

    • Gas and electricity in premises used for residential or non-business use by a charity;
    • Renovation work on dwellings that have been unoccupied for over two years;
    • Conversion work on dwellings to create new dwellings or change the number of dwellings in a building;
    • Installation of mobility aids for persons aged over 60.

I strongly advise that any charity seeks assistance on dealing with VAT to ensure that no more tax than necessary is paid and that penalties are avoided. Charities have an important role in the world, and it is unfair that VAT should represent such a burden and cost to them.

VAT: Wakefield College – Court of Appeal case

By   1 June 2018
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Latest from the courts

Further to my article on the Wakefield College case here the Court of Appeal (CA) has dismissed the college’s appeal that certain of its activities were non-business.

Background 

The detailed background was set out in the above linked article, but to recap: In order for certain building works supplied to the appellant to be zero rated the resultant building has to be used for a “relevant charitable purpose” – that is; not for business purposes. This is the case even if there is a small amount of business activity in the building (as long as these can be shown to be insignificant; which is taken to be less than 5% of the activities in the whole building).

The issue

The issue here was whether the education provided by the college could be deemed non-business because, although the majority was grant funded, students were also required to make a contribution to their education. This is dependent upon whether the provision of courses by the college to students paying subsidised fees was, an economic activity carried on by it for the purposes of article 9 of the VAT Directive and consequently, a “business” within Note (6)  of Group 5 in Schedule 8 to the VAT Act 1994.

The 1994 Act provides, at group 5 of schedule 8, for the zero-rating of various supplies made in the course of construction of certain buildings including:

“The supply in the course of construction of

(a) a building … intended solely for use for … a relevant charitable purpose…

of any services related to the construction other than the services of an architect, surveyor or any person acting as a consultant or in a supervisory capacity”.

Note (6) to group 5 provides:

“Use for a relevant charitable purpose means use by a charity… –

(a) otherwise than in the course or furtherance of a business.”

Decision

The CA found that the fact that the students paid for education (an exempt supply) meant that it was a business activity as consideration flowed in both directions. The proportion of the costs paid by the student amounted to between 25% and 30% of the total cost and could therefore not be deemed insignificant.

Commentary

It is worth reconsidering comments made by the judge in his summing up in the Upper Tribunal hearing.

 “We cannot leave this appeal without expressing some disquiet that it should have reached us at all. It is common ground that the College is a charity, and that the bulk of its income is derived from public funds. Because that public funding does not cover all of its costs it is compelled to seek income from other sources; but its doing so does not alter the fact that it remains a charity providing education for young people. If, by careful management or good fortune, it can earn its further income in one way rather than another, or can keep the extent of the income earned in particular ways below an arbitrary threshold, it can escape a tax burden on the construction of a building intended for its charitable purpose, but if it is unable to do so, even to a trivial extent, it is compelled to suffer not some but all of that tax burden. We think it unlikely that Parliament intended such a capricious system. We consider it unlikely, too, that Parliament would consider it a sensible use of public money for the parties to litigate this dispute twice before the FTT and now twice before this tribunal. We do not blame the parties; the College is obliged to maximise the resources available to it for the pursuit of its charitable activities, just as HMRC are obliged to collect tax which is due. Rather, we think the legislation should be reconsidered. It cannot be impossible to relieve 16 charities of an unintended tax burden while at the same time protecting commercial organisations from unfair competition and preventing abuse”.

So, although the result may be seen as “unfair” on the college, the strict letter of the VAT legislation does not provide the courts with any alternative but to impose a VAT charge on the construction works – a charge which the college will have to bear as it is unable to recover it as input tax due to the partial exemption rules.

This illustrates the complexity with both the concept of business/non-business and property and construction issues. When the two technical areas collide, as in this case, matters can get very complicated and proper advice is vital. This is especially important with charities as they benefit from very few VAT reliefs and it is important to ensure that those available are correctly taken advantage of.

VAT – Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme (TOMS) A Brief Guide

By   11 April 2018
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VAT and TOMS: Complex and costly

Introduction

The tour operators’ margin scheme (TOMS) is a special scheme for businesses that buy in and re-sell travel, accommodation and certain other services as principals or undisclosed agents (ie; that act in their own name). In many cases, it enables VAT to be accounted for on travel supplies without businesses having to register and account for VAT in every EU country in which the services and goods are enjoyed. It does, however, apply to travel/accommodation services enjoyed within the UK, within the EU but outside the UK, and wholly outside the EU.

Under the scheme:

  • VAT cannot be reclaimed on margin scheme supplies bought in for resale. VAT on overheads outside the TOMS can be reclaimed in the normal way.
  • A UK-based tour operator need only account for VAT on the margin, ie; the difference between the amount received from customers and the amount paid to suppliers.
  • There are special rules for determining the place, liability and time of margin scheme supplies.
  • VAT invoices cannot be issued for margin scheme supplies.
  • In-house supplies supplied on their own are not subject to the TOMS and are taxed under the normal VAT rules. But a mixture of in-house supplies and bought-in margin scheme supplies must all be accounted for within the TOMS.
  • No VAT is due via TOMS on travel/accommodation/tours enjoyed outside the EU.

Who must use the TOMS?

TOMS does not only apply to ‘traditional’ tour operators. It applies to any business which is making the type of supplies set out below even if this is not its main business activity. For example, it must be used by

  • Hoteliers who buy in coach passenger transport to collect their guests at the start and end of their stay
  • Coach operators who buy in hotel accommodation in order to put together a package
  • Companies that arrange conferences, including providing hotel accommodation for delegates
  • Schools arranging school trips
  • Clubs and associations
  • Charities.

The CJEC has confirmed that to make the application of the TOMS depend upon whether a trader was formally classified as a travel agent or tour operator would create distortion of competition. Ancillary travel services which constitute ‘a small proportion of the package price compared to accommodation’ would not lead to a hotelier falling within the provisions, but where, in return for a package price, a hotelier habitually offers his customers travel to the hotel from distant pick-up points in addition to accommodation, such services cannot be treated as purely ancillary.

Supplies covered by the TOMS

The TOMS must be used by a person acting as a principal or undisclosed agent for

  • ‘margin scheme supplies’; and
  • ‘margin scheme packages’ ie single transactions which include one or more margin scheme supplies possibly with other types of supplies (eg in-house supplies).

‘Margin scheme supplies’ are those supplies which are

  • bought in for the purpose of the business, and
  • supplied for the benefit of a ‘traveller’ without material alteration or further processing

by a tour operator in an EU country in which he has established his business or has a fixed establishment.

A ‘traveller’ is a person, including a business or local authority, who receives supplies of transport and/or accommodation, other than for the purpose of re-supply.

Examples

If meeting the above conditions, the following are always treated as margin scheme supplies.

  • Accommodation
  • Passenger transport
  • Hire of means of transport
  • Use of special lounges at airports
  • Trips or excursions
  • Services of tour guides

Other supplies meeting the above conditions may be treated as margin scheme supplies but only if provided as part of a package with one or more of the supplies listed above. These include

  • Catering
  • Theatre tickets
  • Sports facilities

Of course, who knows how Brexit will impact TOMS. It may be that UK businesses will be unable to take advantage of this easement and will be required to VAT register in every Member State that it does business * shudder *

This scheme is extremely complex and specialist advice should always be sought before advising clients.

VAT: Doctors and healthcare professionals

By   29 January 2018
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VAT and Doctors

I have noticed that I am receiving more and more queries in this area and HMRC does appear to be taking an increased interest in healthcare entities. This is hardly surprising as it can be complex and there are some big numbers involved.

(This article refers to doctors, but applies equally to most healthcare professional entities.)

The majority of the services provided by doctors’ practices are VAT free. Good news one would think; no need to charge VAT and no need to deal with VAT records, returns and inspections.

However, there is one often repeated question from practices; “How can we reclaim the VAT we are charged?”

The first point to make is that if a practice only makes exempt supplies (of medical services) it is not permitted to register for VAT and consequently cannot recover any input tax. Therefore we must look at the types of supplies that a practice may make that are taxable (at the standard or zero rate). If any of these supplies are made it is possible to VAT register regardless of the value of them. Of course, if taxable supplies are made, the value of which exceeds the current turnover limit of £85,000 in a rolling 12-month period, registration is mandatory.

Examples of services and goods which may be taxable are:

  • Drugs, medicines or appliances that are dispensed by doctors to patients for self-administration
  • Dispensing drugs against an NHS prescription (zero-rated)
  • Drugs dispensed against private prescriptions (standard-rated)
  • Medico legal services that are predominately legal rather than medical – for example negotiating on behalf of a client or appearing in court in the capacity of an advocate
  • Clinical trials or market research services for drug companies that do not involve the care or assessment of a patient
  • Paternity testing
  • Certain rental of rooms/spaces
  • Car parking
  • Signing passport applications
  • Providing professional witness evidence
  • Any services which are not in respect of; the protection, maintenance or restoration of health of a patient.

So what does VAT registration mean?

Once you join the “VAT Club” you will be required to file a VAT return on a monthly of quarterly basis. You may have to issue certain documentation to patients/organisations to whom you make VATable supplies. You may need to charge VAT at 20% on some services. You will be able to reclaim VAT charged to you on purchases and other expenditure subject to partial exemption rules (see below). You will have to keep records in a certain way and your accounting system needs to be able to process specific information.

Because doctors usually provide services which attract varying VAT treatment, a practice will be required to attribute VAT incurred on expenditure (input tax) to each of these categories. Generally speaking, only VAT incurred in respect of zero-rated and standard-rated services may be recovered. In addition, there will always be input tax which is not attributable to any specific service and is “overhead” eg; property costs, professional fees, telephones etc. There is a set way in which the recoverable portion of this VAT is calculated. VAT registered entities which make both taxable and exempt supplies are deemed “partly exempt” and must carry out calculations on every VAT return.

Partial Exemption

Once the calculations described above have been carried out, the resultant amount of input tax which relates to exempt supplies is compared to the de-minimis limits (broadly; £625 per month VAT and not more than 50% of all input tax). If the figure is below these limits, all VAT incurred is recoverable regardless of what activities the practice is involved in.

VAT registration in summary

Benefits

  • Recovery of input tax; the cost of which is not claimable in any other way
  • Potentially, recovery of VAT on items such as property, refurbishment and other expenditure that would have been unavailable prior to VAT registration
  • Only a small amount of VAT is likely to be chargeable by a practice
  • May provide opportunities for pre-registration VAT claims

Drawbacks

  • Increased administration, paperwork and staff time
  • Exposure to VAT penalties and interest
  • May require VAT to be added to some services provided which were hitherto VAT free
  • Likely that only an element of input tax is recoverable as a result of partial exemption
  • Uncertainty on the VAT position of certain services due to current EU cases
  • Potential increased costs to the practice in respect of professional fees.

Please contact us if any of the above affects you or your clients.