Exempt Health or VATable Beauty?

Exempt Health or VATable Beauty?

It is always worth remembering that VAT works on a ‘guilty until proved innocent’ basis.  Knowing that a VAT exemption applies to health services does not mean that exemption necessarily extends to all services that someone might think of as […]

UK VAT on food or lawn seed?

UK VAT on food or lawn seed?

A case that has proved, yet again, you should never optimistically apply the VAT rules is Westland Horticulture (TC07283). In a case looking at whether a supply should be classified for UK VAT as food or lawn seed, apparently there […]

UK VAT Bookkeeping

UK VAT Bookkeeping

The mesmerising mess surrounding the failed VAT appeal made by First Agency Limited (TC06593).  This should be a lesson to everyone to get their house in order and understand why you need good UK VAT Bookkeeping.  The taxpayer lost nearly […]

What is a new building?

What is a new building?

‘What is a new building?’ sounds like an incredibly easy question to answer but it has had everyone jumping through hoops for decades.  Here we see another decision in the tribunal adressing this old chestnut.  Proving yet again that when […]

VAT treatment of sales invoices

VAT on sub-contractor invoices

Never more so than in the construction industry, is it really important to get the VAT treatment of sales invoices right from the outset. As J&B Hopkins Ltd [2018] UKUT 0382 (TCC) found to its £220K cost, you cannot always […]

What is a zero-rated village hall?

What is a zero-rated village hall?

I believe there has been a lot of unfair treatment applied to charitable buildings over the years. The VAT law sets out to zero-rate such projects including buildings similar to village halls. But here is the tricky part – ‘What […]