Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Self-employed Uber drivers, those who make a living renting out rooms on Airbnb, and other gig economy workers could find themselves having to pay VAT.
The Treasury is eyeing slapping VAT on self-employed gig workers and others in the sharing economy, as it tries to claw back cash to pay for the Covid pandemic.
What this means is that Uber fares or Airbnb stays could cost 20 per cent more.
>See also: Treasury to discuss COVID-19 grant for company directors
The Treasury has issued a call for evidence as concern grows that as much as £20bn could be lost as tax revenue as activity shifts online. According to PwC, the total value of the UK sharing economy will be £140bn by 2025 compared with £7bn in 2016.
For example, plumber call-out firm Pimlico Plumbers charges 20 per cent VAT to customers, but a plumber found on Taskrabbit does not because most sole traders fall below the VAT threshold of £85,000 of turnover. Similarly, accounting firms charge VAT to clients on billable hours but a freelance accountant found on Upwork may not.
Although the government has pledged not to raise the rate of VAT under the “triple tax lock”, there
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Coronavirus: how do I defer my next VAT payment?
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Some small business owners are still confused as to whether they should complete their VAT return, according to MHA MacIntyre Hudson.
If you’re a UK VAT registered business and have a VAT payment due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, you can opt to defer the payment until 31 March 2021 or pay it as normal.
You don’t need to tell HMRC that you’re deferring your VAT payment, but you still need to submit your return in time for your original date. Those who make their payments by direct debit should contact their bank to cancel them in good time.
Alison Horner, indirect tax partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, says:
“The VAT deferral scheme is automatic but this fact has lulled some businesses into thinking they don’t need to complete a VAT return. It’s easy to think this is no longer necessary, especially as the national shutdown means many businesses can’t physically get to their offices or have furloughed the relevant staff.
“While VAT returns may be digital, businesses still often need to look through paper invoices to get the information they need. Businesses may assume government understands this, and don’t expect a VAT return given
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HMRC’s new digital VAT rules – 6 steps for submitting tax returns correctly
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT is new HMRC legislation that forms part of a wider plan to eventually digitise all tax for UK businesses. All VAT-registered businesses with VAT-able sales above the annual VAT threshold (currently £85,000) are now required by law to keep digital records and file digital VAT returns through MTD-compatible software.
The majority of businesses need to do this for VAT periods that started on or after 1st April 2019 and around a million UK businesses are required to submit their VAT returns under the new system.
When you run your own business, changes to tax legislation can often seem intimidating but complying with Making Tax Digital needn’t feel that way. This checklist walks you through how to get up to speed with the new rules and how you and your business can benefit from the new system.
Register for MTD with HMRC
If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to register for MTD with HMRC as you won’t be registered automatically. You can do this by visiting HMRC’s website. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to connect your HMRC account to your chosen software. Be aware that it can take up
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Making Tax Digital exemptions deadlines are unrealistic
by Stephanie Spicer • • 0 Comments
VAT registered individuals and businesses needing to apply for an exemption from the new digital VAT requirements- Making Tax Digital (MTD) – have little time to do so, according to the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) MTD for VAT applies to businesses with taxable turnover exceeding £85,000 but as the threshold is based on
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Extra £3.4 billion collected from SMEs for underpayment of VAT
by Owen Gough • • 0 Comments
HMRC collected an extra £3.4 billion from small and medium sized businesses through inquiries into the under-payment of VAT in 2016/17, says PfP. VAT revenue from SMEs accounted for almost half – 49 per cent – of the additional tax take from investigations into small and medium sized businesses by HMRC’s compliance teams. This is
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Innocent small businesses may suffer from crackdown on VAT abuse
by Owen Gough • • 0 Comments
The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) is concerned that HMRC’s new measure to crackdown on abuse of a VAT simplification scheme may be ineffective and have unwelcome consequences for tax compliant small businesses. The CIOT accepts that the Government must tackle abuse of the VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS) but believes that changes to the
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Businesses owe £2.6 billion in unpaid VAT bills
by Owen Gough • • 0 Comments
UK businesses now owe close to £2.6 billion in overdue VAT, as they continue to struggle to find the cash to meet critical tax deadlines, says Funding Options. Funding Options adds that the number has remained stubbornly high over the last few years despite the growth in the UK economy during the period, rising slightly
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Managing VAT: A small business guide
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
For many small business owners, dealing with tax-related issues is quite possibly on a par with going to the dentist. It’s something you’d rather not have to attend to but you know there are potentially grave consequences if you fail to do so. Managing VAT is just another thing to think about, but an important one.
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Don’t get your fingers burned on VAT tax issues
by Emily Coltman • • 0 Comments
The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) is back for another season, which means the coming months will be filled with talk of Baked Alaskas, intricate displays of icing and epic cake-making skills. But if the expertise on display in the GBBO kitchen inspires you to start your own cake-making or catering business, did you know
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