Vat-Penalties

http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/charities-l ose-healthcare-vat/

http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/hmrc-guilty -slow-play-golf-c…/

http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/vat-penalti es-issued-busines…/

http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/feel-client -register-vat-27-…/

http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/dont-succee d/

Right, that's accommodation sorted for Accountex 2014, we just need a prize for the business card draw, and should we buy Chocolate Footballs again?

Tax Man quits in record numbers
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/hmrc-loses- record-numbers-st…/

VAT black-hole awaits unwary business purchasers
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/vat-black-h ole-holding-compa…/

Be warned, HMRC are coming for you...
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/series-task -forces-announced…/

If you trade online you may be affected by a new VAT regime being introduced:
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/vat-changin g-online-traders/

What a great event Accountex has been. If we met at the show, thanks for coming to see us, we'll keep in touch but if you have any pressing VAT or Duty issues don't be shy in asking for help.

Yes, that's right a £1billion assessment - we knew the government was short of cash but this is just ridiculous.
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/1billion-va t-penalty-raised/

EEC Review Import Duty
Alongside weightier matter like the correct length and shape of a banana, the EC Commission have been busy agreeing the final text for the Union Customs Code (UCC) [formally the Modernisation of the Customs Code MCC], of goods and materials, which is now scheduled to enter into force on 1 November 2013.
This has been a major exercise for the commission, and should bring in some long awaited reliefs and harmonisation. For example, we expect guarantees f...or special procedures and the concepts of Centralised Clearance and Self-Assessment to be formally introduced; further simplification around AEO to be agreed, and the “First Sales for Export” concept to be maintained.
EC policymakers will now turn their attention to the UCC implementing provisions, which will provide much needed detail on how new concepts and procedures will work in practice. Overall, these measures are to be applauded but sadly it doesn’t look like the complicated world of customs duty will be made much simpler in the short term. There are myriad ways in which an incorrect classification can result in Duty being overpaid, and the complexities surrounding reliefs (especially regarding specific trade sectors) is a headache for all but the dedicated Duty Expert.
If you import goods from outside the EU then it’s almost inevitable that you pay some form of Customs Duty. Experience has shown that this is an area that many business people (and professionals) struggle to get to grips with so for a no-obligation review of your affairs contact your local Burgis & Bullock office on 08458 502360 or use the online form
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/europe-revi ew-import-duty-re…/
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On the 1 April 1973 VAT was introduced into the United Kingdom.
“VAT is a simple tax” said Anthony Barber (with his fingers crossed behind his back).
I was 17. I was happy. I was naive. I put on my Careers Guidance forms that I wanted to be a vet. My handwriting was poor and it looked like “vat”. I ended up working for H M Revenue & Customs (Customs & Excise as it was then).... I thought that the introduction of VAT was an April Fools’ joke.
I still do.
Back in 1973 life was so simple. VAT was 10%. Everyone could work that out. Even those of us in HMRC. But then things started to change. They changed the standard rate to 8%. Then they brought in a “luxury” rate of 25%. Then they reduced that to 12.5%. Then they abolished that and almost doubled the standard rate to 15%. I still wanted to be a vet.
But I wasn’t. I was trying to work out whether anyone actually understood the VAT rules, and most particularly, me. On rural visits I would gaze longingly at the animals in the fields and imagine walking up to the smiling farmer, vet’s bag in hand, and being welcomed as a friend of the family. I wasn’t. I was greeted as a VAT Inspector traditionally is. With hostility and disdain. And a carrier bag full of illegible receipts.
I resolved to leave HMRC and get out of VAT altogether. I applied to a number of recruitment agencies to be trained as a vet. My handwriting had not improved. I was sent on a number of interviews with professional firms to be trained in VAT.
Scroll forward 40 years and I still haven’t achieved my objective of sticking my hand up a cow’s nether regions. I am still dealing with the vagaries of VAT. Which is actually similar in a lot of ways.
Is a Jaffa cake a cake or a biscuit? (the clue is in the name). Is a pasty sold hot or at the “ambient air temperature”? Will Bobby come out of the shower again in Dallas and Larry Hagman will still be alive?
40 years dealing with VAT. Am I the oldest (and saddest!) swinger in town??
Despite harboring a desire to join the veterinary profession, we’re still here for all your VAT (and Duty) questions. Contact us today online or on 08458 502360.
http://www.vatpenalties.co.uk/celebrating -40-years-vat/
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Come & join us at Accountex 2013 and meet the 'human' faces behind VAT and Duty!

Can HMRC’s opinions on VAT be wrong? What price an opinion? About £80million for one taxpayer. Sportech PLC believed that HMRC’s opinion regarding the VAT liability of spot the ball competitions it ran some years ago was incorrect. In 2009, they submitted a claim to HMRC for over £40 million of VAT plus interest. HMRC’s policy for many years has been games of chance are not subject to VAT but that games of skill are. It had determined that the spot the ball competition that w...as run by Sportech was a game of skill and that VAT was therefore due on the proceeds. A recent VAT tribunal has determined that this particular competition was actually a game of chance as was therefore not subject to VAT at all. The case is not yet publically available so it is not currently possible to determine on what basis the tribunal decided the case. So what is the significance of the case for other taxpayers? It highlights that HMRC’s opinion is just that, an opinion, and as such it can often be successfully challenged, particularly where the law can be read more than one way. In this particular instance it was necessary for a Tribunal hearing to take place in order for the taxpayer to prevail but this is generally not the case. VAT is a highly complex tax which in many cases can hinge on the opinion of a Revenue Inspector. As shown above that opinion may, or may not be correct and it is always worth reviewing the VAT treatment of ‘less common’ transactions even where HMRC may have already given their view. Our highly qualified team of VAT and Duty experts are available today to review your affairs and provide help and guidance on all matters relating to indirect taxation, call us on 08458 502360 or use our online contact page
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