VAT Outline Flashcards
What is VAT?
- an indirect tax on consumer spending
- charged on most goods and services supplied within the UK
- suffered by the final consumer
- collected by businesses on behalf of HMRC
Who is a taxable person?
- is one who is or should be registered for VAT, because they make taxable supplies
- it could be individual or a legal person, such as a company
What is a taxable supply?
- is everything which is not exempt or outside the scope of VAT
- includes sales and purchases of most goods or services
- for VAT to apply the taxable supply must be made in the course or furtherance of a business carried on by a taxable person
It is important to distinguish between input and output VAT:
- business pay input VAT on their purchases of goods and services
- input VAT is reclaimable from HMRC
- registered businesses charge output VAT on their sales of taxable goods and services
- output VAT is payable to HMRC
- every moth or quarter the input and output VAT is netted off and paid to or recover from HMRC. The business therefore accounts to HMRC for VAT on the ‘value added’ to the product
Taxable supplies are charged to VAT at one of three rates:
Zero rate
- tax rate of nil
- no VAT charged but it is classed as a taxable supply
Reduced rate
- some supplies, mainly domestic or charitable use are charged at the reduced rate
Standard rate
- any taxable supply which is not charged at the zero or reduced rates is charge at the standard rate of 20%
Exempt supplies compared to zero-rated supplies
Exempt supplies
- not charge a VAT
- cannot reclaim input VAT
- cannot register for VAT
Zero-rated supplies
- can charge a VAT 0%
- can reclaim input VAT
- can register for VAT
Zero-rated items:
Food: used for human consumption apart from supply of catering , or luxury item such as alcohol
Books and other printed matter
Construction of dwellings - new residential building
Transport - by road, rail, sea or air but not taxi
Drugs, medicines and appliances
Charities - gifts
Clothing and footwear - children
Exempt supplies examples:
Land: transfers and rights, not buildings
Insurance: premium
Financial services: making loans, hire purchase, share dealing and banking services
Education: if provided by schools and universities
Health: the services of registered doctors, dentists, opticians, chemists, hospital
Sports: entry fees
There are two separate tests for compulsory registration
- historic turnover test
- future prospects test
Historic turnover test - at the end of each month, the trader must look at the cumulative total of taxable supplies for the last 12 months, or since commencing trade, whichever is the shorter. If the total exceeds the registration threshold, currently £85,000, then the trader must register as follows:
- notify HMRC within 30 days of the end of the month in which the registration threshold is exceeded, by completing form VAT1, or via HMRC’s online services
- registration is effective form the first day of the second month after the taxable supplies exceed the threshold
- a trader need not register if taxable supplies for the next 12 months are expected to be less than the deregistration threshold currently £83,000
- a trader need not register if supplier are wholly zero-rated
Future prospects test
- this test is considered at any time, when taxable supplies in the next 30 days in isolation are expected to exceed £85,000
# HMRC must be notified before the end of the 30 days, by completing form VAT1, or using HMRC’s online services
# registration will be effective from the beginning of the 30 day period
Once registered, a certificate of registration is issued and the taxable person must start accounting for VAT:
- output tax must be charged on taxable supplies
- each registered trader is allocated a VAT registration number, which must be quoted on all invoices
- each registered trader is allocated a tax period for filing returns, which is normally every three months
- input tax (subject to some restrictions) is recoverable on business purchases and expenses
- appropriate VAT records must be maintained
Advantages of voluntary registration:
- avoids penalties for late registration
- can recover input VAT on purchases
- can disguise the small size of the business
Disadvantages of voluntary registration:
- business will suffer the burden of compliance with all VAT administration rules
- business must charge VAT. This makes their goods comparatively more expensive than an unregistered business, for customers who cannot recover the VAT
Voluntary registration is beneficial for:
- zero-rated supplies and has input VAT that it can recover, or
- supplies to VAT registered customers
Voluntary registration is not beneficial for:
- supplies to non-VAT registered customers (general public)
Accepting additional new business
If customers are VAT registered:
- they can recover the output VAT charged
- it will be advantageous to accept the new work
If customers are not VAT registered:
- they cannot recover the output VAT charged
- if the selling price cannot be increased, the output VAT will become an additional cost to the business
Advantages of group VAT registration
- VAT on intra-group supplies eliminated
- only one VAT return required, which should save administration costs