Where goods are located in a shop can affect the VAT treatment. Nuts sold in the bakery aisle are VAT free, but those sold with snacks or confectionary are standard rated.
Where goods are located in a shop can affect the VAT treatment. Nuts sold in the bakery aisle are VAT free, but those sold with snacks or confectionary are standard rated.
Following my last article on charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) I have been asked about the rules on recovering VAT incurred by a business on such costs.
The current rules are:
VAT incurred by businesses when charging EVs can be recovered on the business use of those vehicles, where they are charged at work or at public charging premises.
A business can also recover the VAT for charging EVs if it is a sole proprietor or a partner in a partnership business, and it charges the EV for business purposes at home.
A business must calculate how much of the cost of charging its EV is for business use and how much is for private use by keeping mileage records. The normal input tax rules then apply.
If an employee charges an EV (whether a company vehicle or not) at a public charging point, the supply of electricity is made to the company or employer. The business can recover the VAT on the cost of charging the electric vehicle, subject to the normal rules.
Again, the employer must keep detailed mileage records to calculate how much of the charging cost is used for business and private purposes.
However, where an employee charges an EV (whether a company vehicle or not) at home, the overall supply of electricity is made to the employee and not the employer. The employer is not entitled to recover the VAT on the cost of charging the electric vehicle.
NB: We understand that HMRC’s view on this may be soon be challenged.
Current developments
Hybrid cars are treated as either petrol or diesel cars for VAT purposes. The rules on input tax for petrol and diesel vehicles are here.
Chocolate body paint is zero rated, but a bar of chocolate is standard rated.
Ferret food has recently been ruled to be subject to 20% tax when previously it was VAT free (from 1973).