UK Tax

The online service for checking a UK VAT number is available at: www.gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number. This service can be used to check: if a UK VAT registration number is valid; and the name and address of the business the number is registered to. The service also allows UK taxpayers to obtain a certificate to prove that they checked […]

The chances are that as a growing business you will quickly encounter the UK’s Value Added Tax (VAT) system. There is a complete VAT explainer here, but in brief, you must register for VAT if:  you expect your VAT taxable turnover to be more than £85,000 in the next 30-day period  your business had a VAT taxable turnover of more […]

A UK VAT return has nine boxes, and getting each one right matters, both because HMRC penalties for errors can be severe, and because an incorrect return can mean paying more VAT than you owe, or under-claiming what you’re entitled to reclaim. The rules have also changed meaningfully since the UK left the EU. Several […]

When not to charge VAT in the UK Not every transaction in the UK carries VAT. Some goods and services are exempt entirely, some are zero-rated, and some fall under the reverse charge, where the customer accounts for the VAT instead of the supplier. These three categories work differently, and mixing them up is one […]

For many businesses setting up in the UK for the first time one of the elements of accounting they find most challenging is Value Added Tax (VAT). It’s a staple of the UK tax system and has many elements in common with General Sales Tax in Aus/NZ.  However, there are some peculiarities of the UK’s […]