Guidance for paying deferred VAT updated
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.
There are two options available for repaying this VAT.
The first option
Accounting for import VAT on your VAT return
Following the end of the transition period, businesses registered for VAT can account for import VAT on their VAT return, often referred to as postponed VAT accounting. For most businesses, this means that they will declare and recover import VAT on the same VAT return. The normal VAT recovery rules
Flat Rate Scheme annual review
Using the VAT Flat Rate scheme, businesses pay VAT as a fixed percentage of their VAT inclusive turnover. The actual percentage used depends on the type of business. The scheme has been designed to simplify the way a business accounts for VAT and in so doing reduce the administration costs of
No VAT on women’s sanitary products
The UK was unable to zero rate VAT on women’s sanitary products under EU rules and the items were subject to 5% VAT. Following the end of the transition period the UK is no longer bound by the EU VAT Directive which mandates a minimum 5% rate of VAT on all sanitary products.
The VAT charge on
UK VAT claims by non-EU businesses
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 of what VAT is refundable can be complex. There are also a number of conditions which must be met in order for a claim to qualify.
The
Deadlines for paying deferred VAT
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.
There are two options available for repaying this VAT.
The first option
VAT on delivery charges
The process for working out the VAT treatment of delivery charges can be quite complex.
We have listed below some of the main issues to bear in mind when deciding whether or not VAT needs to be applied.
No charge for delivery. HMRC’s guidance is clear that if delivery is free, or the cost is
Correcting errors on VAT returns
Where an error on a past VAT return is uncovered, businesses have a duty to correct the error as soon as possible. As a general rule, any necessary adjustment can be made on a current VAT return. However, in order to be able to do so, there are three important conditions that must be met:
The
Deadlines for paying deferred VAT
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.
There are two options available for repaying this VAT.
The first option is
Businesses within the scope of VAT in the UK
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:
Is a supply of goods or services
That the supply