VAT Blog

Well it's Budget Day this week and there will be lots of headlines about how much tax a normal family with 2.4 children will have to pay. It's rare that VAT gets a mention in the headlines, unless there's a change in the standard rate, like the rise to 20%. Any VAT...

Whether you're planning a new property development or some sort of residential conversion, you probably already know that the VAT issues are quite difficult. Although the main principles seem simple, the rules are far more complicated than they appear at first glance...

MOSS - is it a business or a hobby? Some of you will remember this time last year when everyone was in a real tangle trying to understand the VAT registration requirements for the MOSS scheme for businesses making B2C digital sales to customers in other EC countries....

VATWoman's Guide to inter-company services, management charges, cost sharing and much more... Dealing with VAT on transactions with associated businesses Now available! "Can we claim VAT on our office costs and legal bills if we raise a management charge to our...

Saving VAT on residential self-builds and DIY conversions.  One of the most common VAT subjects is VAT on self-builds (or "DIY" builds) and DIY conversions.  Many of you will know that there is a scheme whereby you can claim VAT on certain goods and/or services. It...

What happens if HMRC disagrees with 5% VAT on a conversion or refurbishment? So what exactly DOES happen if a contractor has charged 5% VAT for a conversion or refurbishment but HMRC disagrees? Let’s assume I’m a contractor and I did a renovation project for £100,000...

After years, no, decades of setting new years' resolutions and failing within the first month, I don't even think about setting myself any sort of resolutions. I know that within the next few weeks, a lot of people will be beating themselves up because they've failed...

PPFs and the unexpected traps of opting to tax One of the most common ways to invest pension funds is to invest in property. Sometimes people own a few house to generate rental income; but I've dealt with a number of PPF situations involving commercial property or...

I'm always being asked about the easiest ways to save VAT on property developments, particularly conversions.  But it's not always easy because the VAT rules have 2 different ways of saving VAT on conversions.  So you have to know: when is a conversion not a...

Autumn is always a busy time of year. After the summer holidays are long past, clients remember that outstanding project you discussed back in the spring and all of a sudden, you've got your normal day to day client work plus a number of major projects to handle....