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VAT / 24 posts found

Should you choose a company van over a company car?

by M Tombs
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Having a vehicle to use for business purposes adds to the efficiency of your business. But should you opt for a company car or a company van? Company vans are taxed in a far more favourable way than passenger cars, in most cases. Both company tax relief and personal benefit-in-kind tax charges are more tax efficient for vans and, partly because of this, many business owners choose a van over a car. What personal tax do you pay on a van compared to a car? Personal tax for use of a company car is charged on an annual amount of [...]

Spring Statement 2022: Your summary of the key points

by M Tombs
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The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, delivered his Spring Statement on 23 March. Faced with the task of creating a ‘strong economy’ for the UK, against the challenging background of high inflation, rising costs and the threat of conflict in Europe, he announced a raft of new measures. So, what was in the Spring Statement for your business? And how will these announcements, government measures and new initiatives affect the business landscape in the coming year? The challenge of creating a stronger UK economy As we head into the second quarter of 2022, your business is facing a demanding economic landscape. Inflation [...]
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The reduced rate of VAT has gone up – are you ready?

by M Tombs
in VAT
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The 5% reduced rate of value-added tax (VAT) has been in place since 8 July 2020. The reduced rate has been extended on numerous occasions to factor in changes to the affected sectors over the course of the pandemic – and has been a lifeline for many affected companies. But, from 1 October 2021, the 5% rate jumped to a new reduced rate of 12.5%, a change that could have significant cashflow implications if you’re one of the affected businesses. Why was the reduced rate of VAT needed? The hospitality, hotel and holiday accommodation sectors have been particularly badly hit by the impact [...]

Brexit may be in limbo, but Making Tax Digital is not

by mike tombs
in VAT
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As we have highlighted in many posts to this blog, from 1 April 2019, ALL VAT registered businesses with turnover above the £85,000 VAT registration threshold will have to submit their VAT returns from within software that can link with HMRC’s networks. In techno- speak, your data will need to be transferred using a designated API (HMRC’s application programming interface).   The fact that you have always prepared your VAT returns electronically, for example, by using a spreadsheet to record transactions and create the data for your VAT returns, will not be enough. Your spreadsheet will not have the functionality [...]

A possible, unwelcome increase in service charges

by mike tombs
in VAT
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From 1 November 2018, owners of properties on estates or sites that are obliged to pay service charges to a management company - for example, for the maintenance of common areas, gardens, or the employment of a site warden or caretaker - may be in for an unwelcome surprise.   It would seem that HMRC have applied a concession in the past that allowed the management companies to treat service charges collected on behalf of a landlord as part of an exempt supply for VAT purposes – in other words, when the management company charged a resident, no VAT was [...]

Are you about to buy a second-hand commercial vehicle?

by mike tombs
in VAT
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When you buy a new commercial vehicle, you will pay 20% VAT on the purchase price and in most cases this VAT can be reclaimed. This assumes of course, that the motor trader selling you the vehicle is VAT registered. If you purchase a second-hand commercial vehicle there are three VAT options: The second-hand dealer is not registered for VAT and therefore, you will not be charged VAT. The second-hand dealer is registered for VAT and only charges you VAT on the profit he is making on the sale under the VAT margin scheme, in which case you will not [...]

Cash is king

by mike tombs
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If the present wrangling over the terms of our exit from the EU result in terms that disadvantage UK businesses, what can we do now to protect our hard-earned business assets?   It is difficult to make this call as negotiations could drift in either direction: a continuing trade agreement or a so-called “hard-Brexit”.   No-one can say what trading conditions will be like from April 2019, but it is likely that perception will rule the roost. If uncertainty continues to cloud the debate, and there is no sign of resolution on the political front, opportunists, those brave, and some [...]

Planning or regretting?

by mike tombs
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As we have outlined in recent posts, change is upon us and come the end of March next year, the combination of Brexit and the advent of Making Tax Digital (MTD) will change much that we have taken for granted. Apart from the cross-border considerations (import VAT, customs duties and the like) MTD will require all affected businesses to link with HMRC by using approved software. The time to figure out the best strategy to survive these changes need to be considered now. Businesses should be taking time out to draw up contingency plans, and if possible, before March 2019. [...]

Spreadsheets and VAT from April 2019

by mike tombs
in VAT
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Making Tax Digital (MTD) is HMRC’s long running intention to make an electronic link with the accounting data of UK businesses. The idea is to draw in the data they need directly from your computers using links provided by your software developers for this purpose. Which is fine if you are using accounts software that will accommodate these changes. The first implementation deadline for MTD is 1 April 2019, when all businesses registered for VAT, and with turnover in excess of £85,000, will need to submit returns using HMRC’s MTD processes. Certainly, the accounts software that we use to prepare [...]

VAT before and after Brexit

by mike tombs
in VAT
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Businesses that buy goods from the EU or export goods to the EU would be advised to read the recent guidance from HMRC that is published under the title: VAT for businesses if there is no Brexit deal The stated purpose of the document is reproduced below. The full text can be read online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-for-businesses-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/vat-for-businesses-if-theres-no-brexit-deal The purpose of this notice is, in the event that the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019 with no agreement, to inform UK businesses of the implications for VAT rules for goods and services traded between the UK and EU member states. [...]