Under one VAT scheme, zero-rated and exempt supplies are subject to VAT – as are those which are “Outside the scope of UK VAT”.
Which, or course, makes entire sense.
Monthly Archives: February 2025
VAT: Time to pay guidance updated
HMRC’s guidance: How to pay a debt to HMRC with a Time to Pay arrangement was updated on 17 February 2025. This covers businesses which owe a debt to the department.
The updates cover:
- Information about when a payment plan can be set up without contacting HMRC has been added.
- Section ‘How we work out debt repayments’ has been removed as the information is covered in the section
- Information to work out what businesses can afford to pay has been updated in the section ‘How we work out what you can afford to pay’.
If a business owes VAT
It can set up a payment plan to spread the cost of its latest VAT bill online without calling HMRC if it:
- has missed the deadline to pay a VAT bill
- owes £100,000 or less
- plan to pay its debt off within the next 12 months
- has a debt for an accounting period that started in 2023 or later
- does not have any other payment plans or debts with HMRC
- has filed all your tax returns
More information here: set up a payment plan online.
How to contact HMRC to discuss a Time to Pay arrangement
If a business cannot pay its tax bill and needs assistance (ie; the online arrangements above are not applicable) we recommend that it should contact HMRC as soon as possible.
VAT: When is a bar a bar? – The Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union case
Latest from the courts
A student union tried to argue that a bar is not a bar. It did not go well.
In the case of The Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union the High Court considered the appellant’s application for judicial review of HMRC’s decision that “92” which was operated on the university’s campus was a bar.
The importance of this description of the venue was that if it was indeed a bar, the supplies from it would be standard rated. This is because the supplies of catering to students by eligible bodies, including universities”, are exempt from VAT, on the basis that the supplies are closely related to exempt supplies of education, however, the exemption does not cover food and drink sold in bars.
The union contended that ‘bar’ means a place that does not supply catering, or, alternatively, predominantly or mainly serves alcohol.
HMRC, predictably argued that a bar is “somewhere where one can buy and drink alcoholic and other drinks, as well as food”, and that 92 met that definition.
The court agreed with HMRC that the bar was indeed a bar and did not grant permission to appeal.
So, now we know, a bar is a bar, not a café… or anything else really.
Technical
* Student unions often provide catering alongside universities. Since March 2002, HMRC has operated a published concession extending the exemption granted to supplies of catering made by universities to student unions.
VAT: e-invoicing consultation published
HMRC and the Department for Business and Trade have published their UK e-invoicing consultation paper.
Background to this development here and here.
E-invoicing is the digital exchange of invoice information directly between buyers’ and suppliers’ financial systems, even if these systems are different. The outcome is an invoice which is automatically written into the buyer’s financial system without manual processing.
E-invoicing automates the exchange of invoices between buyers and suppliers. The government says that increased e-invoicing uptake may support economic growth, business productivity, improve business cashflow and reduce errors in tax returns. It has the potential to both support businesses and tax administration.
The consultation aims to understand how e-invoicing aligns with businesses and their customers. Responses from businesses of all sizes – whether they use e-invoicing or not – as well as interest groups, representative bodies, industry bodies and individuals are encouraged.
The purpose of the consultation is to seek input on how the government can support the increased adoption of e-invoicing. The main points are:
- different models of e-invoicing
- whether to take a mandated or voluntary approach to e-invoicing
- what scope of mandate might be most appropriate in the UK and for businesses
- whether e-invoicing should be complemented by real time digital reporting
This would be a significant change to VAT and all businesses should understand the impact.
More on VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA), including Real-time digital reporting here.
VAT: Input tax claims – alternative evidence
What can be used to make a claim?
It is well known that in order to claim input tax on expenditure a business is required to have a valid tax invoice to support it. But what if there is no VAT invoice? Can HMRC accept any other evidence to support a claim? Well, the answer is yes… sometimes.
HMRC has discretion provided by legislation: VAT Regulations 1995/2518 Reg 29(2). Specifically, the wording most relevant here is “…such other documentary evidence of the charge to VAT as the Commissioners may direct.” Broadly, a business must hold the correct evidence before being able to exercise the right to deduct.
Where claims to deduct VAT are not supported by a valid VAT invoice HMRC staff are required to consider whether there is satisfactory alternative evidence of the taxable supply available to support deduction. HMRC staff should not simply refuse a claim without giving reasonable consideration to such evidence. HMRC has a duty to ensure that taxpayers pay no more tax than is properly due. However, this obligation is balanced against a duty to protect the public revenue.
Full details of tax invoices here.
What HMRC consider
HMRC staff are required to work through the following checklist:
- Does the business have alternative documentary evidence other than an invoice (for example a supplier statement)?
- Does the business have evidence of receipt of a taxable supply on which VAT has been charged?
- Does the business have evidence of payment?
- Does the business have evidence of how the goods/services have been consumed or evidence regarding their onward supply?
- How did the business know the supplier existed?
- How was the business relationship with the supplier established? For example: How was contact made?
- Does the business know where the supplier operates from (have staff visited?)
- How did the business contact them?
- How does the business know the supplier can supply the goods or services?
- If goods, how does the business know they are not stolen?
- How does the business return faulty supplies?
Outcome
If the responses to the above tests are credible, HMRC staff should exercise their discretion to allow the taxpayer to deduct the input tax. Overall, HMRC is required to be satisfied that sufficient evidence is held by the business which demonstrates that VAT has been paid on a taxable supply of goods or services received by that business and which were used by that business for its taxable activities
Challenge HMRC’s decision
A business may only challenge HMRC’s decision not to allow a claim (did not exercise its discretion) if it acted in an unfair or unreasonable way. In these cases, the onus is on the taxpayer to demonstrate that HMRC have been unreasonable in not using the available discretion. This is quite often a difficult thing to do.
Case law
Not surprisingly, there is significant case law on this subject. The most relevant and recent being the Upper Tribunal (UT) cases of James Boyce Scandico Ltdv and Wasteaway Shropshire Limited.
Tips
If possible, always obtain a proper tax invoice from a supplier, and don’t lose it! The level of evidence required when no invoice is held usually depends on the value of the claim. There would be a difference between persuading an inspector that £20 input tax on stationery is recoverable and the claiming of £200,000 VAT on a property purchase is permissible. As always in VAT, if you get it wrong and claim VAT without the appropriate evidence there is likely to be a penalty to pay.
If you, or your clients are in dispute with HMRC on input tax claims, please contact us.
VAT – Fuel and power guidance updated
HMRC has updated its notice Updated its Notice 701/19: Fuel and power.
The Notice explains how suppliers and users should treat supplies of fuel and power for VAT purposes and it sets out how to treat a number of other supplies connected with fuel and power.
The update provides more detail of supplies for domestic use.
Supplies of fuel and power for domestic use are eligible for the reduced rate of 5%.
The provider must be certain that the supply is to a dwelling or certain types of residential accommodation. Examples of allowed residential accommodation are:
- armed forces residential accommodation
- caravans
- children’s homes
- homes providing care for the elderly or disabled, people with a past or present dependence on alcohol or drugs or people with a past or present mental disorder
- houseboats
- houses, flats or other dwellings
- hospices
- institutions that are the sole or main residence of at least 90% of their residents
- monasteries, nunneries and similar religious communities
- school and university residential accommodation for students or pupils
- self catering holiday accommodation
The following buildings are not considered residential accommodation for the purposes of fuel and power:
- hospitals
- prisons or similar establishments
- hotels, inns or similar establishments
VAT penalties and surcharges – time limits for appeals. The Excel case
Latest from the courts
The recent Xcel Consult Limited First-Tier Tribunal (FTT) case serves as a reminder on the tight time limits for appealing against VAT penalties and surcharges.
The VAT Act 1994 Section 83G sets out a statutory time limit for bringing appeals in respect of VAT penalties and surcharges of the kind in question in this case. An appeal is to be made to the tribunal before the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the date of the document notifying the decision to which the appeal relates.
Section 83G(6) provides that an appeal may be made after the expiry of the statutory period if the Tribunal gives permission. In deciding whether to give permission to allow the late appeal, the three-stage test set out in Maitland is applied. These tests are:
(1) establish the length of the delay and whether it is serious and/or significant
(2) establish the reason or reasons why the delay occurred
(3) evaluate all the circumstances of the case, using a balancing exercise to assess the merits of the reason(s) given for the delay and the prejudice which would be caused to both parties by granting or refusing permission, and in doing so take into account “the particular importance of the need for litigation to be conducted efficiently and at proportionate cost, and for statutory time limits to be respected”.
Commentary
Our advice is to always respond within the 30 day limit, as relying on an out of time appeal can be risky. If that is not possible, an appeal should be submitted asap to ensure that test 1) above is not a reason to reject a submission.
HMRC late payment interest rates reduced
HMRC interest rates for late payments are to be revised following the Bank of England interest rate cut.
The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee announced on 6 February 2025 to reduce the Bank of England base rate to 4.5% from 4.75%.
HMRC interest rates are linked to the Bank of England base rate. As a consequence of the change in the base rate, HMRC interest rates for late payment and repayment will reduce.
These changes will come into effect on:
- 17 February 2025 for quarterly instalment payments
- 25 February 2025 for non-quarterly instalments payments
How HMRC interest rates are set
HMRC interest rates are set in legislation and are linked to the Bank of England base rate.
Late payment interest is currently set at base rate plus 2.5%. Repayment interest is set at base rate minus 1%, with a lower limit – or ‘minimum floor’ – of 0.5%.
The differential between late payment interest and repayment interest is in line with the policy of other tax authorities worldwide and compares favourably with commercial practice for interest charged on loans or overdrafts and interest paid on deposits.
Updated VAT Notice 701/30: Education and vocational training
This notice covers how VAT applies to; education, research, vocational training, examination services and goods and services connected with these activities.
More information on exempt education here.
Since 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools. The Notice been updated to include these changes.