UK VAT Representative
We act as UK VAT Representative for non-UK businesses that are required to have a UK VAT identification number.
Our fee basis is transparent. We will negotiate an annual fee with you to act as your UK VAT Representative. For this fee we will register you for UK VAT, maintain UK accounting records which are Making Tax Digital complaint, submit your VAT returns, and managing VAT audits lasting up to one day a year.
For consulting work, which includes dealing with additional work on VAT audits, VAT enquiries, UK Statistical Office requirements, and non-VAT HMRC enquiries, we charge £250 an hour plus VAT where applicable.
UK VAT refund claims
Before the UK leaves the EU, UK VAT can be reclaimed through the EU VAT refund portal.
Similarly, UK business can reclaim VAT charges in other member states through the portal.
After Brexit, claims will have to be made from EU countries as set out on the European Commission Website. Claims against the UK will be allowed after Brexit, but they cannot be processed through the EU VAT refund portal – sadly it looks like we return to manual claims. We still await clear guidance on what can and cannot be done, but we believe that claims will be processed as they are now for businesses claiming from outside of the EU.
If you are making a claim against the UK, please be aware that many businesses run into trouble when making such claims – HMRC will identify businesses that ought to have a UK VAT ID, and will eject the claims as well as commencing enquiries into the applicant company. In addition, we act in a number of cases each year where HMRC has refused a 13th directive claim on the basis that a UK VAT ID is required, and HMRC has been wrong.
UK Records and Accounts
We use a cloud based HMRC compliant accounting package.
Because it is cloud based you always have access to it. Indeed, we will provide you with templates so that information on your UK transactions can be downloaded from your central accounting system and then uploaded into our cloud-based system. We also have no objections to your IT people building an interface with our accounting package if that is what you need.
Alternatively, you can post individual transactions direct to the cloud-based accounting package.
For an additional fee, to be negotiated, we will post individual transactions for you based on a standard data capture form.
Purchase and sales invoices can either be uploaded into our cloud-based accounting package, or shared with us in a suitable format via a file sharing package, or retained by you and provided when we receive an HMRC enquiry or Audit. We only accept documentation in soft format.
Evidence of movement of goods should also be provided in soft format. We will receive import VAT documents direct from HMRC on your behalf and either send you copies or file copies on our cloud-based accounting system or else use a suitable file sharing medium.
UK VAT Agent
We act as UK VAT Agent for non-UK businesses that are required to have a UK VAT identification number.
Our fee basis is transparent. We charge a negotiated annual fee to act as your UK VAT Agent. For this we will register you for UK VAT, maintain UK accounting records which are Making Tax Digital complaint, submit your VAT returns, and managing VAT audits lasting up to one day a year.
For consulting work, which includes dealing with additional work on VAT audits, VAT enquiries, UK Statistical Office requirements, and non-VAT HMRC enquiries, we charge £250 an hour plus VAT where applicable.
Import VAT
If you make taxable supplies, import VAT for cost components is recoverable. If you’re required to have a UK VAT ID, you will be making taxable supplies.
VAT is payable at importation. However, before the UK leaves the EU it is possible for all overseas businesses to defer the VAT and Duty payable until the second week of the following month.
However, payment must be made from a UK bank account, and a UK bank guarantee is required.
We can assist with setting this up including obtaining a UK bank account.
Please be aware a lead time of at least eight weeks is needed to set up this facility due to the time taken firstly by the bank and then by HMRC.
Once the UK leaves the EU, the process for import VAT for goods from outside the EU will remain the same. However, the process for goods imported from the EU will change so that import VAT is ‘paid’ on your UK VAT return and is reclaimed on the same VAT return. We hope that both regimes will harmonise onto the same system as for EU imports.
UK Company Formation
If you need to set up a UK company, we can do that for you.
We will need time basic information from you. With that information we will set up the standard limited company, with standard memorandum and articles of association. We will agree a fixed fee with you.
For an annual fee of £1,000 plus VAT, we will also submit company returns as well as carrying out standard company secretarial work such as board minutes, issue of share certificates and issue of dividend certificates. We will also host a UK board meeting each year at a location close to a UK airport. We will deal with routine enquiries from Companies House.
If you need a local director, we will provide one who is professionally qualified for £1,000 a year plus VAT.
importantly, we are registered under the Trust and Service Company provider legislation – this type of work requires such a registration.