The changes will come into effect on:
The press release is available here.
Further to my article on the introduction of changes to penalties for late filing and payments of VAT and follow up guidance, the forthcoming introduction on 1 January 2023 has focussed attention on how they will impact certain businesses.
Late returns
Many businesses who have had to deal with the “old” default surcharge regime realised that it could be disproportionate and create unfair outcomes. The new penalties are, in my view, fairer, and, the changes bring some welcome features and some which are less so.
The good news is that the introduction of the new rules mean that businesses will start with a clean slate, regardless of their position under the default surcharge mechanism – there is no carry over form one set of rules to another.
However, for the first time, late rendering of returns can incur penalties and interest if the returns are either:
In the previous regime when “non-payment” returns were filed late, this did not trigger a default.
Nil returns
Businesses which did not carry out any activity in the prescribed period, eg; intending traders, businesses temporary closed, or at the end of their life will have to recognise that a late nil return will now trigger points.
Repayment returns
Again, businesses which typically submit repayment returns, such as; new build constructors, exporters, and any business supplying zero rated goods or services will have to recognise tardy submissions will now affect them.
We understand that HMRC is aware of the impact on this sector and is planning to communicate with these businesses to make them aware of the new changes.
An additional point; from 1 March 2021 the Domestic Reverse Charge was introduced for the construction industry. As a result, an increased number of builders found themselves in a repayment position and will now need to ensure timely returns to avoid penalties.
Late payments – penalties and interest
The new late payment penalties regime will replace the default surcharge, which served as a combined late submission and late payment sanction.
Under the new rules, there will be two separate late payment penalties.
The first penalty has two separate elements:
The second penalty is triggered from day 31. This is charged daily and is based on an annual rate of 4% of any outstanding amount.
If all outstanding VAT is paid within 15 days of the due date, no late-payment penalty will arise. Although here will however still be late payment interest.
Interest
From 1 January 2023, HMRC will charge late-payment interest from the day a VAT payment is overdue to the day the VAT is paid, calculated at the Bank of England base rate plus 2.5%.
Time-to-Pay arrangements
HMRC offers the option of requesting a Time To Pay arrangement. This will enable a business to stop a penalty from accruing any further by approaching HMRC and agreeing a schedule for paying their outstanding tax.
Period of familiarisation
HMRC say that to give businesses time to get used to the changes, it will not be charging a first late payment penalty for the first year from 1 January 2023 until 31 December 2023, if the tax is paid in full within 30 days of the payment due date.
Appeals
It is anticipated that the number of appeals against late filing/payments will be reduced because of the more proportional approach of the new rules. However, it is still possible to appeal if a taxpayer considers the imposition of penalties and interest is unfair. An appellant needs a reasonable excuse to succeed.
Action
Advisers should ensure that clients affected by the new rules, specifically repayment business and those submitting nil returns, are aware of the impact. I know that a lot of these are habitual late filers and some “save up” returns for when they need a cash injection.
It will also be prudent for advisers to monitor penalty points accrued. We understand that HMRC is looking at how this information could be made available to agents and taxpayers. We expect more details about this in the coming months, including how software can be used to display points.
Repayment supplement
The new system may be fairer, however, the withdrawal of the repayment supplement is not! More details here. (I am still quite cross!)
HMRC has issued a reminder that:
HMRC has published a new Factsheet CC/FS69 which sets out compliance checks to be made to avoid penalties for Making Tax Digital (MTD).
Under MTD, VAT-registered businesses must keep certain records digitally and file their VAT returns using compatible software.
The Factsheet covers:
Penalties
HMRC levy penalties for MTD for the following actions:
These penalties apply in addition to existing penalties and interest charged for a range of misdemeanours from late returns to deliberate underdeclarations.
HMRC has issued two new documents which provide practical guidance for users of the One Stop Shop (OSS).
They cover how to pay the VAT due on an OSS return and how to use the service to submit an OSS VAT return if a business is registered for the OSS Union Scheme. A link has been added to allow a business to submit a OSS return directly.
VAT Basics
As part of our guides to VAT basics, we take a brief look at partial exemption and how it affects a business.
The first point to make is that partial exemption is often complex and costly. In some cases it may be avoided by planning and in others it is a fact of life for a business which needs to be managed properly.
Background
The VAT a business incurs on its expenditure is called input tax. For most businesses this is reclaimed from HMRC on VAT returns if it relates to standard rated or zero rated sales (referred to as “taxable supplies”) that that business makes. Exempt supplies are not to be confused with non-business income which are dealt with under a different regime.
However, a business which makes exempt sales may not be in a position to recover all of the input tax which it incurred. A business in this position is called partly exempt. Generally, any input tax which directly relates to exempt supplies is irrecoverable. In addition, an element of that business’ general overheads, e.g.; light, heat, telephone, computers, professional fees, etc are deemed to be in part attributable to exempt supplies and a calculation must be performed to establish the element which falls to be irrecoverable.
Input tax which falls within the overheads category must be apportioned according to a so called; partial exemption method. The “Standard Method” requires a comparison between the value of taxable and exempt supplies made by the business. The calculation is; the percentage of taxable supplies of all supplies multiplied by the input tax to be apportioned which gives the element of VAT input tax which may be recovered. Other partial exemption methods (so called Special Methods) are available by specific agreement with HMRC. A flowchart which illustrates the Standard Method of apportionment is below.
Which businesses are affected?
Any business which receives income from the following sources may be affected by partial exemption:
This list is not exhaustive.
* Most businesses which do not routinely make exempt supplies usually encounter exemption in the area of land and property and it is an easy trap to fall into not to consider VAT when involved in property transactions. This is one area where VAT planning may be of assistance as it is possible in most situations to deliberately choose to add VAT to an exempt supply to avoid a loss of input tax. This is known as the option to tax, and it is considered in more detail here.
De Minimis relief
There is however relief available for a business in the form of de minimis limits. Broadly, if the total of the irrecoverable directly attributable (to exempt suppliers) and the element of overhead input tax which has been established using a partial exemption method falls to be de minimis, all of that input tax may be recovered in the normal way. The de minimis limit is currently £7,500 per annum of input tax and one half of all input tax for the year.
As a result, after using the partial exemption method, should the input tax fall below £7,500 (£625 per month) and 50% of all input tax for a year it is recoverable in full. This calculation is required every quarter (for businesses which render returns on a quarterly basis) with a review at the year end, called an annual adjustment carried out at the end of a business’ partial exemption year. The quarterly de minimis is consequently £1,875 of exempt input tax which represents spending of under £10,000 net; not a huge amount.
Should the de minimis limits be breached, all input tax relating to exempt supplies is irrecoverable.
The value for the de minimis limit has been in place for over 25 years (when it was increased by a huge £25 per month) and it is rather ridiculous that it has not been increased to reflect inflation. This, coupled with the fact that the VAT rate has increased significantly means that the relief which was once very useful for a business has withered away to such an extent that partial exemption catches even very small businesses which I am sure goes against the original purpose of the relief.
In summary – for a business exemption is a burden not a relief. It represents a real cost in terms of tax payable, time and other resources, in addition to uncertainty. We often find that this is an area which HMRC examine closely and one which benefits from proactive negotiation with HMRC.
VAT Basics
A quick look at Postponed Accounting (PA) and what it means for a business after Brexit
Pre-Brexit (if one remembers such halcyon days) acquisitions from other Member States crossed the UK border without any formalities as there was free movement of goods within all of the EU.
Now that GB is a third country, it is unable to take advantage of the benefits of a single market, so acquisitions become imports and are required to be declared when imported. However, gov.uk has announced he return of PA in an attempt to simplify matters.
PA
PA is accounting for import VAT on a VAT return means a business declares and recovers import VAT on the same return, rather than having to pay it upfront and recover it later. This means neutral cash flow; which is to be welcomed.
The normal rules about what VAT can be reclaimed as input tax will apply.
PA also has the advantage that imported goods are not delayed at the entry port while VAT paperwork and payment is completed. Of course, as experience has demonstrated; there may be other reasons for delays to imports and exports.
Who can use PA?
From 1 January 2021, if a business is registered for VAT in the UK, it will be able to account for import VAT on its return for goods it imports into:
There will be no changes to the treatment of VAT for the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the EU.
A business does not need approval to account for import VAT on its returns.
How does PA work practically?
VAT is payable on imports of over £135 arriving into the GB from any country in the world, which now includes the EU. Practically, PA is similar to the current Reverse Charge. Output and input VAT is accounted for on the same VAT return.
When completing a customs declaration a business may choose how to account for VAT on its return.
If the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system is used:
On the declaration, the following needs to be entered:
If the Customs Declaration Service is used:
The VAT registration is entered number at header level in data element 3/40.
Returns
Using someone to import goods on your behalf
If a business uses a third party to import goods on its behalf (eg; a freight forwarder, customs agent, or fast parcel operator) it will need to inform them how it wants to account for VAT on those imports, so that they can complete the customs declaration correctly.
Alternatives
The use of PA is optional. The alternative is to pay VAT on goods when they enter the UK. This means the use of the “usual” C79 certificates sent by HMRC on which input tax may be reclaimed (rather than any other documentation, eg; invoices).
Northern Ireland
Goods moved to NI from the EU are not impots (NI remains part of the EU, so the old rules on acquisitions still apply and no import VAT is due).
Customs Duty
Alongside additional border formalities, Customs Duties may be payable on certain goods. This Duty is not reclaimable like VAT. Most of the complexities of Customs Duty relate to the rules of origin.
Commentary
PA is a relief for businesses importing from the EU. It is a simple system and will be familiar to any business which applies Reverse Charges. With all the varying changes applying post-Brexit, this is one area which should not affect a business importing from the EU in terms of port delays or negative cash flow. To date, there is no evidence on how well the system is working, but anecdotally, I understand that this part of Brexit changes has not thrown up any issues, unlike other problems which have been widely reported. I stand to be corrected though.
Bye bye old VAT returns.
HMRC has revealed that it will retire the existing VAT online filing system for VAT 100 forms from April 2021.
From that date, only the MTD method is possible and the original (the XML submission where a business logs into the HMRC portal) will be discontinued.
1. Am I sure that a VAT inspection would not find any errors?
2. Am I sure that I am reclaiming as much VAT as possible?
3. Do I take full advantage all available VAT reliefs, customs exemptions and duty refund schemes?
4. Am I up to date on the indirect tax developments in my key markets?
5. Have I considered the impact of tax rate changes on my pricing and margin, and have I taken the necessary measures?
6. Do I collect all the data about my customers and transactions that could be required by tax authorities?
7. Do I comply with all indirect tax requirements in the jurisdictions where I operate or where my customers belong?
8. Do I have the tools to analyse my indirect tax flows and data?
9. Could changes in the way my business is structured or how transactions are organised improve my indirect tax position and/or reduce complexity?
10. Is my business using the right VAT scheme?
It is important to constantly monitor a business’ VAT position. The nature of trade changes, technology changes, case law changes and the VAT rules are constantly in a state of flux. It is easy to assume that everything is alright because it has always been done that way, but there may be significant exposures and missed opportunities out there. Things will also change once the terms of Brexit have been agreed (or not). We offer services from a basic healthcheck to a full technical review. A review will let you rest easy in your bed if nothing else!
I am often asked if there is a VAT beginner’s guide, I find HMRC guidance generally unhelpful for someone without a tax background, so, here is all the basic information you may need in one place.
What is VAT?
Value Added Tax (VAT) is a tax charged on most business transactions made in the UK. It is charged on goods and services and is an ad valorem tax, which means it is proportionate to the value of the supply made.
All goods and services that are VAT rated (at any rate including zero) are called “taxable supplies”. VAT must be charged on taxable supplies from the date a business first needs to be registered. The value of these supplies is called the “taxable turnover”.
Exempt items
VAT does not apply to certain services because the law says these are exempt from VAT. These include some; financial services, property transactions, insurance education and healthcare. Supplies that are exempt from VAT do not form part of the taxable turnover.
The VAT rates
There are currently three rates of VAT in the UK:
VAT registration
A business is required to register for, and charge VAT, if:
Registration limit
The current VAT registration threshold is £85,000. If at the end of any month the value of taxable supplies made in the past twelve months is more than this figure a business MUST VAT register. A business can opt to register for VAT if its taxable turnover is less than this. Please note that taxable turnover is the amount of income received by a business and not just profit. If a business does not register at the correct time it will be fined.
Additionally, if, at any time there are reasonable grounds to expect that the value of the taxable supplies will be more than the threshold in the next thirty days alone a business must register immediately.
What are the exceptions?
VAT is not chargeable on:
What if a business only makes exempt or zero-rated supplies?
Exempt
If a business only makes exempt supplies, it cannot be registered for VAT. If a business is registered for VAT and makes some exempt supplies, it may not be able to reclaim all of its input tax.
Zero rated
If a business only supplies goods or services which are zero-rated, it does not have to register for VAT, but, it may do so if it chooses.
What is input tax and output tax?
Input tax is the VAT a business pays to its suppliers for goods and services. It is VAT on goods or services coming into a business. In most cases, input tax is the VAT that registered businesses can reclaim (offset against output tax).
Output tax is the term used to describe the VAT charged on a business’ sales of goods or services. Output tax is the VAT a business collects from its customers on each sale it makes.
A full guide to VAT jargon here
Is there anything that will make VAT simpler for a small business?
There are a number of simplified arrangements to make VAT accounting easier for small businesses. These are:
Details may be found here and here and here.
VAT calculation
Records
A business must keep complete, up-to-date records that enable it to calculate the correct amount of VAT to declare on its returns. VAT records must be kept for at least six years, because a business will need to show them to HMRC when asked.
It is acceptable for ordinary business records to be the basis for VAT accounts. A business will need records of sales and purchases (and any adjustments such as credit notes) including details of how much VAT the business charged or paid. If trading internationally, records of imports and exports/dispatches and acquisitions with all overseas territories, including the EU must be recorded. VAT records must show details of any supplies a business has given away or taken for personal use.
VAT records must also include all invoices you have received and issued. Invoice requirements here
Records will also need to include a VAT account, showing how total input tax and output tax has been calculated to include in your VAT returns.
It is vital to ensure that the VAT records are accurate. Failure to do so can lead to significant tax penalties
MTD
For certain business, the new MTD rules apply and certain software must be used. Details here
Time of supply (tax point)
It is important to establish the time VAT is due. Full details here
VAT returns
A VAT registered business must submit returns on a regular basis (usually quarterly or monthly). A VAT return summarises a business’ sales and purchases and the VAT relating to them. All the information a business requires must be in its VAT records, specifically a VAT account.
Return requirements include:
Online VAT returns are due one month and seven days after the end of the VAT period. Payment of any VAT owed is due at the same time, although HMRC will collect direct debit payments three days later.