The VAT system is policed by HMRC who can and do levy penalties for breaches of the legislation. There are four conditions that must be satisfied in order for an activity to be within the scope of UK VAT. These conditions are that the activity:... Read More

The transfer of a business as a going concern (TOGC) rules concern the VAT liability on the sale of a business. Normally the sale of the assets of a VAT registered or VAT registerable business will be subject to VAT at the appropriate rate. Whe... Read More

Under standard VAT accounting, VAT is payable on sales whether or not the customer has paid and can lead to a claim for Bad Debt Relief. Under the Cash Accounting Scheme, VAT does not need to be paid over until the customer has paid. A business can... Read More

The coronavirus VAT payment holiday gave businesses the chance to defer the payment of any VAT liabilities between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020. The option for businesses to defer their VAT payments ended on 30 June 2020. In delivering his Winter... Read More

HMRC has published a new Revenue and Customs Brief on the VAT treatment of early termination fees and similar compensation payments following recent judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). HMRC has said that this will impact a... Read More

A business that incurs expenditure on taxable and exempt business activities is partially exempt for VAT purposes. This means that the business is required to make an apportionment between the activities using a 'partial exemption method' in... Read More

HMRC has updated its guidance on the VAT partial exemption treatment relevant to businesses who supply goods by way of hire purchase agreements. A policy paper entitled Revenue and Customs Brief 8 (2020): change to partial exemption VAT treatment was... Read More

Under standard VAT accounting, you pay VAT on your sales regardless of whether your customer has paid you. Under the Cash Accounting Scheme, VAT does not need to be paid over until your customer has paid your invoice. Your business can enter this sc... Read More

To accommodate coronavirus disruption HMRC temporarily changed the time limit from 30 to 90 days for notifying a VAT option-to-tax for land and buildings. This extension was set to expire on 30 June 2020 but has been extended to 31 October 2020.... Read More

HMRC has published new guidance for VAT registered businesses in the hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions sectors. This new guidance follows the Chancellor’s announcement in the Summer Statement of a temporary reduction in the VAT... Read More

Businesses can close a VAT registration for two main reasons. For example, the business has stopped making taxable supplies or a voluntary deregistration can be made by businesses that does not expect its taxable turnover to exceed the deregistr... Read More

There are special rules for businesses established outside the EU submitting a claim for VAT incurred on goods or services bought in the UK. The exact rules that determine what VAT is refundable can be complex. There are also a number of conditions w... Read More