If you are a trader in the United Kingdom with rising taxable sales then you need to pay uk vat to relish all benefits provided by this taxation system Vatcheck.com. Once your taxable sales touch the vat threshold limit of ?70,000 during the past Twelve months then you'll need to get vat registration so that you too can end up part of this tax system that's in effect in the majority of European countries.
If you're a very small trader that mostly sells retail goods you'll be able to remain out of the purview of vat or value added tax so long as your taxable sales do not touch ?70,000 in 12 months. However, if your sales touch that figure or let's say you sell goods to vat registered traders then you would be better off being a vat registered trader in the UK. Vat has been employed as a way of collecting taxes on products or services in most of Europe and the UK too follows this system. The vat department in the United Kingdom is headed by HM Revenue and Customs or hmrc department.
After you have crossed over the vat threshold limit for uk VAT then you will have to make an application for vat registration. You can do so even before you reach this limit if you think that you need to reclaim vat which has previously been paid on services and goods, especially in a different eu country where this method is followed. You should do the hiring of an experienced vat agent well conversed in uk and eu vat rules for vat registration purposes as well as for filing of vat refunds to ensure that there are no problems in claiming back vat.
As soon as you do turn into a vat registered trader in the UK, which may take up to a month after you file a web-based vat application then you'll need to charge vat as per the 14,000 goods and services classifications given by the hmrc vat department. This will have to be done through each vat invoice that you will be required to issue during each taxable sale. UK has 3 vat rates beginning with the regular rate of 17.5%, reduced vat rate of 5%, as well as the zero vat rate. Certain services and goods are totally vat exempt too.
As soon as you turn into a vat registered trader so as to pay and collect uk vat based on vat invoices then you will also have to file your vat returns regularly. Again, your vat agent is going to be necessary to calculate vat to get paid or refunded depending on your vat purchases and sales. In case you have imported goods or services in the United Kingdom after paying vat in a eu country then you can avoid double taxation by filing a vat reclaim form. You will be awarded vat refund between four to 8 months after your claim is successfully processed by hmrc as well as the member country. Overall, vat is an excellent tax system to avoid double taxation and also plug many loopholes that were found in the conventional sales tax system.
If you're a growing trader in the United Kingdom that sells taxable goods to vat registered traders then you need to keep the cycle of vat alive by turning into a vat registered trader. You can now collect and pay uk vat while also claiming any vat previously paid on imported goods and services, which will will lower tax overheads to some large extent.