Category: Tax

VAT reverse charge

What is the VAT reverse charge?

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From the 1st March, the VAT reverse charge scheme now applies to construction. If you work in the construction industry and are VAT registered, this applies to you, your suppliers and your customers.

If you are not VAT registered or do not work in the construction sector you can ignore this blog but feel free to share with someone that you know who is. 

This new scheme has been brought in to reduce VAT fraud in the construction sector. For businesses which fall under this scheme, it will mean significant changes for how you charge and recover VAT.

Click here for the published guidance that has been released by HMRC so far.  

Build UK have also prepared a guide which includes a checklist to assist with the changes. Click here to view the checklist. 

It is also useful to look at and understand the published guidance on the CIS scheme itself which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/construction-industry-scheme-cis-340

But let’s start with WHO this scheme DOESN’T apply to: 

  • When you are not VAT registered as a business
  • You are not in the construction industry
  • If you are VAT registered and supplying:
  1. A non-VAT registered customer
  2. The ‘end users’, i.e. a VAT registered customer who is not intending to make further on-going supplies of construction
  3. Intermediary suppliers who are connected, e.g. a landlord and his tenant or 2 companies in the same group.

Now let’s look at WHO this scheme DOES apply to – and ALL the conditions need to be met: 

  • Where the customer and supplier are both registered for CIS
  • The customer and supplier are not connected
  • The customer is intending to make an ongoing supply of construction services to another party
  • Standard or reduced rate VAT applies to the services or product being supplied
  • The supplier AND customer are both VAT registered.

It’s probably easier to consider different scenarios and what would happen under both the old and new schemes:

Scenario 1:  

Simon the plumber, who is VAT registered, supplies the materials and labour to plumb a new house for Mr Developer (also VAT registered). Mr Developer (also VAT registered) then sells the house to Mrs End User.

Under the old scheme:

Simon would have invoiced Mr Developer £10,000 + VAT, i.e. £12,000

Simon would have accounted for the £2000 of VAT he owes HMRC on his system

Mr Developer would have paid Simon £12,000.

Mr Developer would have accounted for the £2000 of VAT he can possibly reclaim against VAT he owes HMRC.

Under the new scheme:

Simon invoices Mr Contractor £10,000, and marks his invoice as “the CIS reverse charge applies and the applicable rate is 20%”.

Mr Contractor now pays Simon £10,000. But then accounts for £2000 of VAT (i.e. the VAT on Simon’s invoice) that he owes HMRC on his accounting system.

Scenario 2: 

Simon the plumber, who is VAT registered, supplies the materials and labour to plumb a bathroom for Mrs End User.

As Mrs End User is the End User, and a customer who is not VAT registered, Simon under both the new and old scheme, invoices her for £10,000 + VAT, i.e. £12,000.

Simon accounts for the £2000 of VAT he now owes HMRC.

Scenario 3: 

Simon the plumber, who is VAT registered, supplies the materials and labour to plumb a house for Mr Builder. Mr Builder is NOT VAT registered.

As Mr Builder, is a customer who is not VAT registered, Simon under both the new and old scheme, invoices him for £10,000 + VAT, i.e. £12,000.

Simon accounts for the £2000 of VAT he now owes HMRC.

What you need to do now: 

If you are VAT registered, inform all your VAT registered subcontractors that from 1st March 2021:

  • you will no longer accept invoices with VAT paid on it
  • Their invoices which contain products or services which VAT needs to be paid on are clearly marked as ‘the CIS reverse charge applies’ and the VAT rate which needs to be applied to the items.

If you are regularly buying materials which have VAT added, you may like to consider moving to do a monthly VAT return. This will allow you to quickly reclaim any VAT which is owed to you. With the introduction of the reverse charge scheme in construction, most VAT registered construction businesses who do a large proportion of their work as a contractor rather than direct to the end user, would be better off by doing a monthly VAT return

DO YOU USE XERO? 

The guys and girls at Xero have been working hard to deal with this for you and here is a link to how to set up VAT Reverse charge on your Xero software

Click here for instructions on how to set up your Xero 

See video below for more instructions on how to set up your Xero

United Kingdom flag

Whats happening with Brexit?

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The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, UK Chief negotiator David Frost and EU negotiator Michel Barnier continue to offer differing messages to the public about Brexit, some are positive, some ambivalent and occasionally negative remarks about the negotiations. It is hard to see through the comments made and whether we can take them at face value as, after all, there is a negotiation going on.

Whatever the outcome there are significant changes ahead for travel and trade.

Travel

If you are traveling to the EU from the UK after the 1 January 2021 then check out the Government website “Visit Europe from 1 January 2021”. This page tells you how to prepare if you’re planning on traveling to Europe from 1 January 2021. It will be updated if anything changes.

See: https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021

Trading

.Gov website

If you haven’t made your business preparations, check out the Brexit transition website: https://www.gov.uk/transition

If you trade with the EU and have not yet made preparations then here is a summary of actions to take:

We must all be prepared for changes in the way we travel and trade with Europe. Even if there is a free trade deal the key thing to remember is that there will be a UK border which will mean paperwork and border checks.

Businesses that trade with the EU must get familiar with customs declarations as these will be essential for accounting for VAT.

Depending on what contracts a business has with its customers in Europe, it may have to factor in that goods could take longer to get there, meaning extra costs and administration.

In the short term, there will probably be delays at the border, so it is important businesses map out supply chains and think about how to do things as efficiently as practicable post-transition.

Overall with still no deal on the table, specifics are still very up in the air. We will make sure to keep you updated once we know more information.

Calendar and alarm clock

When do I need to send my Tax Return Information to my accountant?

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Your self-assessment tax return is the document that is needed to calculate how much tax you owe personally. This return includes your dividends, employment income, rental income etc. One way to ‘stress out’ your accountant is to send them your tax return information in January. However, many people don’t understand why January is so stressful for accounting firms. Therefore we wanted to explain why sending in your information before January is so important.

Important dates explained

The tax year runs from April (of the prior year) to April (of the current year). For example, if we send you a request after April in 2020 for your self-assessment tax return information, it will be relating to information from April 2019 to April 2020. So the start and the end of the tax year.

The deadline to complete the return and pay any tax will be the following January, so in this case the 31st of January 2021. This gives you 9 months to get the return submitted and tax paid from the end of the tax year.

For anyone who has to pay a payment on account, this will be due the following July, so in this case the 31st of July 2021.

self-assessment timeline

The way we work

At 1 Accounts we use a system called Karbon to request self-assessment tax return information. At the end of the tax year on the 6th of April, we send out an automatic email requesting all the information we require to complete the return. We then send an automatic reminder email once a month for five months to those who haven’t uploaded the information. If you still haven’t sent in any information after this, you will get chaser emails from one of the team.

If you haven’t used our Karbon system before, it is nice and straight forward. All you have to do is click ‘manage checklist’ on the email.

Karbon checklist

This will then direct you to create a pin number (make sure it is memorable). If you forget your pin, just click on the ‘forgotten your PIN?’ hyperlink and follow the steps.

Pin number

Once you are in, you will be able to see a checklist where you can comment and upload the information we have requested, or ask any questions. These comments come through to the team like an email.

Once you have completed a task we ask you to tick it off. The open tasks are what triggers the automatic reminders and so ticking them off will stop them.

If none of the information requests apply to you, we still need you to write N/A in the comments so we know it doesn’t apply.

Once you have completed your checklist and ticked off the tasks, please just log out or close the window. Your progress will be saved and we will be notified

For anyone sending us information after the 15th of December, there is no guarantee we will be able to complete the return on time.

So why Is January so stressful for accountants?

With January being the deadline for self-assessment tax returns, naturally many people leave it until the last minute. If you are completing your own return, then that’s fine, however waiting until January to give the information to your accountant will not make you very popular. No matter how much accounting firms prepare, January is always horrible. Not only are the Christmas festivities over, last minute tax returns are a given. If you have left your tax return until the last minute, bear in mind, that you are not the only one.

We advise you to send in your information any time between April to August. This will give us ample time to complete your return. The sooner you send us the information the sooner we can complete the return. We prioritise our returns on whoever sends us the information first.

On a side note, if you are looking to buy a house, your returns will need to be completed for your mortgage. If this is the case you will need to send us your information ASAP and let us know well in advance.

Remember your tax is due in January?

Your tax is due in January. This means that if you leave sending your information until the last minute you could end up with a large unexpected tax bill to pay straight away. If you return gets completed early, you will be able to prepare for paying any tax in January. Or for those lucky people, get a refund early.

Overall, accountants all over Britain ask nicely that you send your tax return information between the months of April-August so we can give you the best possible service and eliminate stressful Januarys once and for all.

If you have any questions on your self-assessment tax return please email jade@1accounts.co.uk

documents

What information is needed to complete my personal tax return?

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…… AND WHY!

It’s that time again ….. tax returns!

From the 6th of April, accountants start to request information from clients. In this blog, we will go through what information accountants need and why.

At 1 Accounts we request the below information from all of our clients via our Karbon software. A secure virtual checklist gets sent to every client automatically on the 6th of April. For more details on when and how to send your tax return information to us please *click here*. Not all of the checklist points apply to everyone, however, we ask all of our clients to write N/A by the tasks that don’t apply, this confirms to us that they aren’t applicable.

karbon checklist

Bank Interest

You have to declare your bank interest received on your tax return. You do not have to pay tax on any interest under £1,000 if you are a basic rate taxpayer or £500 if you are a higher rate tax payer. If you are an additional rate taxpayer, you will have to pay tax on all of your bank interest. However, regardless of the amount you still have to declare any interest you have had. Depending on your bank you will get an April summary that will tell you your annual interest. Your bank should also be able to provide an interest statement on request. Failing both of these, you can just look through your bank statements and add up any interest received, however, this could be long, time-consuming and most of all boring.

Details of Dividends

Your dividends are taxable income (after £2,000), so they have to be declared on your tax return. To send us the details we will need the dividend vouchers. If you do not have these you will be able to ask your accountant managing your business to send them to you. If you are a 1 Accounts client and we look after your company, we will have the dividend information for that business.

If you have invested in any shares, you will also get a dividend certificate. Keep hold of these even if just for a small amount as this will also need to be declared.

Details of rental income and expenses

We will need to know the gross rent. This is the amount of rent that you are paid before any management charges. We will also need a list of your expenses obtained throughout the year. If you have an agent you should be able to ask for a ‘rental statement’. If you don’t have an agent please send us a spreadsheet of your expenses and details of the rent paid to you every month.

Some of our rental clients use Xero to keep track of their income and expenditure. If you would like a version of Xero to be able to do this, just let us know.

Donations Under Gift Aid

This one is a little trickier to find the information. If you have donated through ‘just giving’ or have a monthly subscription to a charity you will be able to find the donation given. All we need is for you to add all the donations together to give us the total figure donated, confirm who you donated too and that it was made under gift aid. Remember that donations made under gift aid will REDUCE YOUR TAX if you are a higher rate taxpayer and so it is worth noting down whenever you give to charity.

Pension contributions

This is another one that you could get tax relief on, depending on the type pension scheme and how the contributions are made into the scheme. We will need the details of all the amounts that have been paid into a pension scheme, whether by you or on your behalf by say your employer. Dependent on your pension provider you should be able to get a statement for the year. If this is applicable we will need to discuss this with you further.

Employment income

If you are employed we will need details of this income from either the P60 or P45. This is because it is part of your total taxable income for the year and is needed to decide your tax band. We will need your P60 or P45 from any employer for whom we don’t run the payroll and don’t worry, any tax deducted at source under PAYE will be deducted from your tax bill.

If you are in receipt of you pension, we will also need this P60 as well.

Details of any other income

If you have had any income that we have not listed above, please tell us. Even if you are not sure it applies. This could include the following:

  • P11D employment benefits received.
  • The sale of capital assets.
  • Inheritance income (if not handled within the estate).
  • Sole trade income (if turnover is above £1,000 we need to know).
  • Sale of shares.
  • Cryptocurrency sales.

What is working from home relief?

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Working from home relief = FREE CASH

Due to the current pandemic, many businesses have been working from home this year (ours included). It looks like those who can work from home will be until March 2021 at the earliest.

We have also seen a change in attitude towards flexible working. It has become the ‘new normal’ and many employees may continue working from home in the future.

What many businesses haven’t realised is that they can get free cash from HMRC for working from home. WOW!

So what is working from home relief?

From 6 April 2020 employers have been able to pay employees up to £6 a week tax-free to cover additional costs if they have had to work from home. Employees who have not received the working from home expenses payment direct from their employer can apply to receive tax relief from HMRC.

Find out full details here –  www.gov.uk/government/news/54800-customers-claim-tax-relief-for-working-from-home.

In a very interesting twist Martin Lewis has reported that even if you work from home for just one week, you can still claim a whole years relief. This is a very public statement from Martin Lewis and we are certain that he has proof from HMRC. However there may be a caveat when HMRC realise what they have said.

Read his article here – https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2020/04/martin-lewis–working-from-home-due-to-coronavirus–claim-p6-wk-/

Our advice for employees 

If your employer is not paying the allowance, which they are not obliged to, log into the HMRC portal and make your claim. For basic rate tax payers this is worth £62.40 and higher rate tax payers it is worth £124.80. For 10 minutes of your time, it is worth doing!

Our advice for employers

You do not have to pay the allowance. However as we are coming into the festive season, why not incorporate the £6 per week into a Christmas Bonus? There are no PAYE or NIC deductions for the employer or employee making it a great treat for the end of this turbulent year.

pregnant lady with heart

Did your pregnancy affect your claim?

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Ask HMRC to verify you had a new child which affected your eligibility for the self-employed income support scheme. 

If you are self-employed or a member of a partnership, and having a new child affected the trading profits or total income you reported for the tax year 2018 to 2019, use the HMRC form to ask them to verify that you had a new child.

If you are already eligible for the grant based on your 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 Self-Assessment tax returns, how HMRC will work out your grant amount will not be affected.

If you are not already eligible you can ask HMRC to check if you had a new child which either:

  • affected your trading profits or total income you reported for the tax year 2018 to 2019
  • meant you did not submit a Self-Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018 to 2019

For this scheme having a new child is any of the following:

  • being pregnant
  • giving birth (including a stillbirth after more than 24 weeks of pregnancy) and the 26 weeks after giving birth
  • caring for a child within 12 months of birth if you have parental responsibility
  • caring for a child within 12 months of adoption placement

You must have been self-employed in the tax year 2017 to 2018 and have submitted your Self-Assessment tax return on or before 23 April 2020.

You must also meet all other eligibility criteria.

a Van and a car

Is your van actually a car? – The answer may surprise you.

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“Should I buy a car or a van” is a question we frequently get asked at 1 Accounts. Our recommendation is usually van. This is because you can claim back the VAT and the taxable benefit in kind is usually much less than a car (unless electric).

As the benefits of buying a van outweigh the benefits of buying a car, It is important that your van is actually classified as a van. In our opinion HMRC have been fairly “woolly” over the definition. In most cases if the vehicle is capable of transporting goods and has a 1 tonne pay load it has been treated as a van.; regardless of if there are seats behind the driver.

HMRC have a published list of what they determine to be a car or a van. You will see in some cases that the pack purchased can affect the classification:  However due to the developments in the recent Coca-cola case these classifications may come under scrutiny from HMRC.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/428510/Car_derived_Van_updateMay2015.pdf 

The coca-cola case

Coca-cola provided their employees with vehicles based on a panel van design, however these vehicles had a second row of seats behind the driver. Employees could use them for both personal and work purposes. Coca-cola argued that these vehicles were vans. HMRC said they were cars.

The first tier tribunal determined that because the vehicles were multi-purpose they couldn’t be considered a van. Therefore by default they had to fall into the ‘car’ bracket and should be taxed accordingly.

Classification

Your van could be classed as a car if:

  • It has a row of seats behind the driver
  • It has a dule purpose eg. It can carry goods and passengers

If you van has these things you will seriously need to consider if it is used as a van or a car. We believe that now it has come to light, HMRC will be looking more closely at the classifications and will be taking a much harsher approach than before.

The judgement as you can see from this link is extensive and has tax implications for both Tax and VAT.

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/HMRC-v-Payne-Ors-Approved-Judgment-002.pdf

We recommend that you review your fleet and make the necessary adjustments now.

Defer your payment on account

Defer Your Self-assessment Payment On Account

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Choose how and when you can delay making your second payment on account for the 2019 to 2020 tax year.

You have the option to defer your second payment on account if you are:

  • registered in the UK for Self-Assessment and
  • finding it difficult to make your second payment on account by 31 July 2020 due to the impact of coronavirus

You can still make the payment by 31 July 2020 as normal if you are able to do so.

The June 2020 Self-Assessment statements showed 31 January 2021 as the due date for paying the July 2020 Payment on Account. This is because HMRC updated their IT systems to prevent customers incurring late payment interest on any July 2020 Payment on Account paid between 1st August 2020 and 31 January 2021. The deferment has not been applied for all customers by HMRC and it remains optional.

HMRC will not charge interest or penalties on any amount of the deferred payment on account, provided it’s paid on or before 31 January 2021.

See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/defer-your-self-assessment-payment-on-account-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19?utm_source=5d97ee4d-9a24-4553-9a8e-56287f4de9f3&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

Pizza

VAT – REDUCED RATE OF 5%

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VAT – REDUCED RATE OF 5%

The government made an announcement on 8 July 2020 allowing VAT registered businesses to apply a temporary 5% reduced rate of VAT to certain supplies relating to:

  • hospitality
  • hotel and holiday accommodation
  • admissions to certain attractions

The temporary reduced rate will apply to supplies that are made between 15 July 2020 and 12 January 2021.

clinking beer glasses

Hospitality

If you supply food and non-alcoholic beverages for consumption on your premises, for example, a restaurant, café or pub, you’re currently required to charge VAT at the standard rate of 20%. However, when you make these supplies between 15 July 2020 and 12 January 2021 you will only need to charge 5%.

You will also be able to charge the reduced rate of VAT on your supplies of hot takeaway food and hot takeaway non-alcoholic drinks.

More information about how these changes apply to your business can be found in Catering, takeaway food (VAT Notice 709/1). See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catering-takeaway-food-and-vat-notice-7091

Hotel bed

Hotel and holiday accommodation

You will also benefit from the temporary reduced rate if you:

  • supply sleeping accommodation in a hotel or similar establishment
  • make certain supplies of holiday accommodation
  • charge fees for caravan pitches and associated facilities
  • charge fees for tent pitches or camping facilities

More information about how these changes apply to your business can be found in Hotels and holiday accommodation (VAT Notice 709/3). See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hotels-holiday-accommodation-and-vat-notice-7093

VAT on admission charges to attractions

If you charge a fee for admission to certain attractions where the supplies are currently standard rated, you will only need to charge the reduced rate of VAT between 15 July 2020 and 12 January 2021.

However, if the fee you charge for admission is currently exempt that will take precedence and your supplies will not qualify for the reduced rate.

This applies to:

  • shows
  • theatres
  • circuses
  • fairs
  • amusement parks
  • concerts
  • museums
  • zoos
  • cinemas
  • exhibitions
  • similar cultural events and facilities

Examples of where the reduced rate may apply could be attractions such as:

  • a planetarium
  • botanical gardens
  • studio tours
  • factory tours

More information about how these changes apply can be found in VAT: Admission charges to attractions.

See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-admission-charges-to-attractions?utm_source=b70c8e4c-efcb-4e66-a3aa-6dbc482ad5f6&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

Businesses Need To Reinstate VAT Direct Debits

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The deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus comes to an end on 30 June and businesses need to take action to reinstate their direct debit mandates.

The Institute of Chartered accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Tax Faculty has reminded its members.

The VAT payment deferral means that all UK VAT-registered businesses have the option to defer VAT payments due between 20 March and 30 June 2020 until 31 March 2021.

However, ICAEW is reminding businesses that they need to take steps to reinstate their direct debit mandates so that they are in place in time for payments due in July 2020 onwards. Any outstanding returns should be filed, and three working days should be allowed to elapse before reinstating the direct debit mandate.

HMRC will issue guidance on the end of the VAT deferral period very soon but, to be effective, direct debit mandates usually need to be set up three working days before a VAT return is filed.

We cannot set up direct debit mandates on behalf of our clients; the business needs to set up the mandate through their business tax account.

HMRC has confirmed that it will not collect the outstanding balance of deferred VAT when the direct debit mandate is reinstated. HMRC has made the necessary systems change to avoid this happening for businesses in MTD for VAT.


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