Tag Archives: VAT-publications

VAT: Alternative Dispute Resolution guidance updated

By   16 January 2024
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HMRC has, this month, updated its guidance on how to use Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to settle a tax dispute.

Anyone can apply for ADR to help resolve a dispute with HMRC, or to get more information about issues that need to be taken for a legal ruling. The Guidance explains how to apply for ADR and when you can use it to resolve a VAT disagreement with HMRC.
A full overview of the ADR system written by us here, but broadly, it is the involvement of a third party (a facilitator) to help resolve disputes between HMRC and taxpayers. Its aim is to reduce costs for both the taxpayer and HMRC when disputes occur and to reduce the number of cases that reach statutory review and/or Tribunal.

VAT: How to use HMRC advice and information

By   8 August 2023
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HMRC have updated information (on 30 June 2023) on how to use its guidance. This includes when a taxpayer can rely on information and/or advice provided by HMRC. This is the first update since the original publication in March 2009.

The document covers; how to check the advice and information given give applies to a business, what a taxpayer can expect from HMRC, and what to do if you think you have incorrect information.

This covers enquiries made via:

  • letters
  • telephone calls
  • pages on gov.uk
  • webchat
  • posts on social media

HMRC publishes information and guidance that can address common issues, but this does not always provide a definitive answer in every situation. If this is the case, a business can:

Reliance on incorrect information

HMRC says:

“You may be able to rely on incorrect advice and information from HMRC, if it’s both:

  • reasonable for you to expect this
  • very unfair for HMRC to act in a different way from the advice and information given.”

HMRC will take a number of things into account when considering this. In some cases, there may be a strong reason for HMRC to act in a different way from the advice and information given.

Where relevant, HMRC will generally consider whether:

  • you told HMRC about all the relevant facts
  • HMRC’s advice and information was clear and certain
  • you already relied on the advice and information and would be worse off if HMRC did not act in line with it

Once it is clear HMRC’s advice and/or information was incorrect, a taxpayer must make sure to use the correct advice and information going forward.

Right of appeal

There is no general right of appeal against the advice and information HMRC provides, except where rights of appeal are set out in statute.

NB: It is always worth considering the HMRC Charter which sets out what a taxpayer can expect from HMRC and what HMRC expects from a taxpayer.

That is all well and good, but I have written about this: VAT – Do as HMRC say…. and if you do… they may still penalise you!

 

VAT: Changes to the Option To Tax of land and buildings

By   11 October 2022
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Changes to the notification process

The Option To Tax (OTT) procedure generally turns an exempt supply of land and/or property into a taxable one. More details here.

HMRC have announced, following a recent trial, that its processing of OTTs has been amended to speed up the process.

Previously, when a business submitted an OTT (Form VAT1614A) HMRC would undertake certain checks to the notification before sending an acknowledgement. Now, HMRC will simply issue a receipt confirming that the OTT notification has been received without checking it.

It was, and remains, the taxpayer’s responsibility to ensure that the OTT is valid. The change removes the deemed uncertainty where taxpayers may have believed HMRC’s acceptance of the OTT confirmed that it was valid. Of course, it also reduces HMRC’s resources in processing the notifications and should result in quicker turnarounds. It is hoped that now HMRC will process notifications within 30 working days.

Changes to OTT forms

In addition to the changes to the process of notifying an OTT, HMRC has also removed the ‘print and post’ versions of the following forms:

VAT1614B: Stop being a relevant associate to an option to tax

VAT1614E: Notification of a real estate election

These can now only be completed online. Please note the online form can still be posted but it must be completed in full before it can be printed. The form can also be emailed to optiontotaxnationalunit@hmrc.gov.uk.

VAT: Updates on appeals to courts

By   21 September 2022
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Latest from the courts

HMRC has published an update on taxpayers’ appeals. This is a round up of the status of recent cases.

It is helpful for businesses which operate in similar areas, or have tax issues with HMRC and for a general overview on how the courts are approaching certain matters.

The cases which HMRC lose often provide opportunities for retrospective claims for other businesses.

VAT: New tool to check HMRC’s performance and service levels

By   21 July 2022
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Via this service dashboard you can check current processing times and service levels for post and online requests.

The guidance sets current performance and service levels, processing dates and the date HMRC aims to return to normal service levels where there is a delay.

It currently advises:

VAT registration

Normal Service – HMRC aim to reply within 30 working days from the date the request was sent.

VAT deregistration

Normal service – HMRC aim to reply within 30 working days from the date the request was sent.

VAT – group registration application

Delayed Service

HMRC aim to return to normal service of 30 working days by the end of August 2022.

This date is an estimate and may change. HMRC say that it is sorry for the delay.

HMRC is currently processing requests received on 17 March 2022.

If you sent your request after 24 June 2022, please do not contact HMRC as it has not been processed yet.

VAT – option to tax

Delayed Service

HMRC aim to return to normal service of 30 working days by the end of August 2022.

This date is an estimate and may change. Again, HMRC say that it is sorry for the delay.

HMRC is currently processing requests received on 9 December 2021.

If you sent your request after 9 December 2021, please do not contact HMRC as it has not been processed yet.

Further, you can Check when you can expect a reply from HMRC

VAT stats 2020-21

By   20 December 2021
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HMRC has published UK VAT statistics for 2020 to 2021.

Headlines

The total VAT receipts in the tax year ending March 2021 decreased by 22% (£24.1 billion) from the previous year. There was a downward impact on receipts from the VAT deferral measure which took effect from 20 March 2020.

The Wholesale and Retail sector continued to be the largest contributor to net Home VAT liabilities.

Import VAT receipts was also lower: £4.2 billion (13%) for the year compared to the year ending March 2020. This was mainly due to postponed VAT accounting.

68% of total net home VAT declared was paid by traders with an annual turnover greater than £10 million.

VAT population – income

Incorporated companies accounted for the largest share of the VAT population and annual turnover. Companies accounted for 73% of taxpayers, and 92% of annual taxable turnover in the year ending March 2021. Sole proprietors were the second largest group in terms of VAT population; this group accounted for 16% of VAT traders.

Businesses with an annual turnover greater than £10 million declared £67 billion in net VAT, 68% of the total for the tax year. This group only accounted for 1% of businesses.

52% of businesses declared annual turnover below the VAT registration threshold of £85,000.

VAT population – trade sectors

The wholesale and retail sector was the largest in terms of contribution to VAT liabilities. Net VAT liabilities were £29 billion (30%) of the total for the tax year ending March 2021. The financial and insurance sector has replaced the arts, entertainment and recreation sector and accommodation and food services sector in the top ten trade sectors from the previous year.

The construction sector increased by £650 million (12%), the largest year-on-year change. The only other sectors to see increases were wholesale and retail sectors which increased by £30 million (2%) and professional, scientific, and technical activities which increased by £19 million (2%). Of the top VAT contributing sectors, the financial and insurance sector saw the largest decrease of £560 million (25%).

VAT registrations

New registrations increased from the tax year ending March 2013 to the tax year ending March 2017 where it decreased by 33,666 (8%). Since the tax year ending March 2018, there has been an upward trend in new registrations – 300,000 in the year to 2021.

Deregistrations were below 200,000 a year from the tax year ending March 2014 to the tax year ending March 2016, but increased above that level in the tax year ending March 2017, increasing further in the tax year ending March 2018. This increase in deregistrations was likely to be linked to policy changes in relation to the Flat Rate Scheme.

The freeze in the VAT registration and deregistration thresholds has increased the number of registrations and decreased the number of deregistrations progressively from the year ending March 2019.

VAT: Trading with the EU. Changes from 1 January 2022

By   23 November 2021
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From 1 January 2022 the rules for selling to, and buying from, the EU will change.

HMRC have issued information about these changes.

Broadly, from 1‌‌ ‌January‌‌ ‌2022, businesses will no longer be able to delay making import customs declarations under the Staged Customs Controls rules that have applied during 2021. Most businesses will have to make declarations and pay relevant tariffs at the point of import. However, see details of Postponed Accounting.

Please also see a publication issued by the Cabinet Office which includes a Policy Paper on The Border Operating Model.

VAT: New HMRC guidance for using international post and merchandise in baggage

By   19 January 2021
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HMRC has published two new sets of guidance for international post users and importing merchandise in baggage. The changes are mainly due to Brexit.

International post users

HMRC has published new guidance for international post users.  

The notice explains what happens when a business imports or exports goods by post through Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide.

The arrangements set out in the notice do not apply when a full declaration on a single administrative document (SAD – Form C88) is required.

The information about sending a package overseas has been updated. This relates to the new need to compete a customs declaration for goods sent to the EU.

Bringing commercial goods into Great Britain in baggage

The guidance covers commercial goods (also known as Merchandise in Baggage) which will be used, or sold by a business, where: 

  • a commercial transport operator does not carry them for a business
  • a person has travelled to GB carrying goods either:
    • in accompanied baggage
    • in a small vehicle that can carry up to no more than 9 people and weighing 3.5 tonnes or less

A person must declare all commercial goods. There is no duty-free allowance for goods brought into GB to sell or use in a business.

My guide to importing and exporting post Brexit here.

VAT: Digital newspapers zero-rated. The News Corp case

By   10 January 2020
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Latest from the courts

Hot on the heels of the update to e-publications here comes new from the Upper Tribunal (UT) in the News Corp UK and Ireland Ltd case.

Background

The issue was whether electronic editions of The Times (plus other e-newspapers from the same company: The Sunday Times, The Sun and The Sun on Sunday) were “newspapers” within the meaning of The VAT Act 1994, Schedule 8, Group 3, Item 2  and could therefore be treated as zero rated.

The relevant part of Schedule 8, Group 3 (where relevant), lists the following items:

“1 Books, booklets, brochures, pamphlets and leaflets.

2 Newspapers, journals and periodicals…”,

At the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) the appeal was dismissed, and the decision went in favour of HMRC. Details here. The facts were consistent throughout both hearings.

Decision

The UT agreed with the FTT in that there was no material difference between the two types of supply despite the sale of e-newspapers being supplies of services and the sale of physical newspapers being supplies of goods.

That being the case, it was possible to interpret Schedule 8, Group 3. Item 2 as extending to e-publications, which, of course, did not exist when the legislation was drafted in 1972. Consequently, the appeal was allowed, and the e-newspapers were zero rated. Such treatment did not extend the scope of UK zero rating which would not be permitted by the EU.

The UT also indicated that the zero rating would be subject to some restrictions in respect of what may be treated as e-publications.

It was observed that it is important that the legislation should be interpreted in a way that maintained its relevance and that the “always speaking” * principle is preserved.

Commentary 

The EC European Council (EC) has previously agreed to allow Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to electronic publications. This UT case appears to confirm that this will extend to UK zero rating. Other Members States have already applied reduced rates or are in the process of doing so. The UK have not previously announced its approach, so this decision is likely to force their hand (notwithstanding the fallout from Brexit…).

Action

Supplies or e-publications should review their sales and decide whether their supplies are on fours with this case. If so, it may be possible to make a retrospective claim for overpaid output tax, subject to certain conditions.

Recipients of such supplies should consider approaching their suppliers and obtain a repayment of overpaid VAT if it represents a cost to them.

  • “Always speaking” is an influential principle that is recited in materials on legislative drafting as the justification for using the present tense, adopted in many common law jurisdictions as a principle of interpretation, and accepted as a foundation for the linguistic analysis of the use of tense in statutes. It is particularly relevant where technology has outpaced the law.







VAT: e-publications – New reduced rates

By   8 January 2020
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Background

Further to my article on the ongoing issue of e-books, in October 2018, the European Council (EC) agreed to allow Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to electronic publications (eg; e-books and e-newspapers) thereby allowing alignment of VAT rates for electronic and physical publications. The reasoning was for the EC to modernise VAT for the digital economy, and to keep pace with technological progress.

Under Directive 2006/112/EC, electronically supplied services are taxed at the standard VAT rate, whereas physical publications of the dead tree variety; books, newspapers and periodicals, benefit from non-standard rates in many Member States – these goods being zero rated in the UK and around 5% or below in other countries.

Amendments to the Directive allowed Member States to apply reduced VAT rates to electronic publications as well. Super-reduced and zero rates will only be allowed for Member States that currently apply them to physical publications.

The new rules will apply temporarily, pending the introduction of a new, ‘definitive’ VAT system. The EC has issued proposals for the new system, which would allow member states more flexibility than at present in setting VAT rates.

New rates

Some Member States have now introduced reduced rates:

Austria 10%, from 1 January 2020

Belgium 6%, from 1 April 2019

Croatia 5%, from 1 January 2019

Czech Republic new 10% rate from 1 May 2020

Finland: 10% from 1 July 2019

Germany 7%, from 1 January 2020

Ireland 9%, from 1 January 2019

Luxembourg 3%, from 1 May 2019

Malta 5%, from 1 January 2019

The Netherlands 9%, from 1 January 2020

Poland 5%, from 1 November 2019

Portugal 6%, from 1 January 2019

Slovenia 5% from 1 January 2020

Sweden: 6%, from 1 July 2019

It is anticipated that the remaining Member States are likely to introduce reduced rates in the future. The UK, being subject to Brexit, is in a more complicated position. If the UK brought e-publications in line with the VAT treatment of physical publications, it would apply the zero rate. However, the current EU legislation prevents any introduction of new zero rating. As matters stand, the UK may only apply the zero rate after an exit from the EU.

Watch this space…