- Should you be registered for VAT?
If your income is above £90,000 pa of taxable supplies, you have no choice. But you can voluntarily register if below this threshold. There are significant penalties for failure to register at the correct time.
- Advantages of VAT registration: VAT recovery on expenses plus, perhaps; gravitas for a business
- Disadvantages: administration costs plus a potential additional cost to customers if they are unable to recover VAT charged to them (eg; they are private individuals) which could affect your competitiveness Potential for penalties and interest for getting it wrong.
More on voluntary registration here
- Even non-registered businesses can save VAT
- Look to use non-VAT registered suppliers, or non-EU suppliers (however, the reverse charge may count towards your registration turnover)
- If you are purchasing or leasing commercial property, consider looking for non-opted property or raise the issue of your inability to recover VAT in negotiations on the rent
- Take advantage of all zero, exempt and reduced rates of VAT reliefs available
- Challenge suppliers if you consider that a higher rate of VAT has been charged than necessary
- Consider using the appropriate simplification scheme
- Flat Rate Scheme
- Cash Accounting (helps avoid VAT issues on bad debts)
- Annual Accounting (can generate real, cash flow and/or administrative savings)
- Margin and Global schemes for second-hand goods
Further details here
- Make sure you recover all pre-registration and/or pre-incorporation VAT
VAT incurred on goods on hand (purchased four years ago or less) and services up to six months before VAT registration is normally recoverable.
- Are your VAT liabilities correct?
Many businesses have complex VAT liabilities (eg; financial services, charities, food outlets, insurance, cross border suppliers of goods or services, health, welfare and education service providers, and any business involved in land and property). A review of the VAT treatment may avoid assessments and penalties and may also identify VAT overcharges made which could give rise to reclaims. Additionally, these types of business are often restricted on what input tax they can reclaim. Check business/non-business apportionment and partial exemption restrictions.
More on charities here
- Have you incurred VAT elsewhere in the EU?
You may be able to claim this from overseas tax authorities. Details here
- Do you recover VAT on road fuel or other motoring costs?
Options for VAT on fuel: keep detailed records of business use or use road fuel scale charges (based on CO2 emissions)
If you need a car; consider leasing rather than buying. 50% of VAT on lease charge is potentially recoverable, plus 100% of maintenance if split out on invoice. VAT on the purchase of a car is usually wholly irrecoverable.
More here
- Remember: VAT on business entertainment is usually not recoverable but VAT on subsistence and staff entertainment is.
More here
- Pay proper attention to VAT
- keep up to date records
- submit VAT returns and pay VAT due on time (will avoid interest, potential penalties and hassle from the VAT man)
- claim Bad Debt Relief (BDR) on any bad debts over six months old
- contact HMRC as soon as possible if there are VAT payment problems or if there are difficulties submitting returns on time
- ensure that the business is paying the right amount of tax at the right time – too little (or too late) may give rise to penalties and interest – too much is just throwing money away
- check the VAT treatment of ALL property transactions
- Challenge any unhelpful rulings or assessments made by HMRC
HMRC is not always right. There is usually more than one interpretation of a position and professional help more often than not can result in a ruling being changed, or the removal or mitigation of an assessment and/or penalty.
We can assist with any aspect of VAT. You don’t need to be a tax expert; you just need to know one… We look after your VAT so you can look after your business.