Webinar: VAT and the Construction Industry

Sandy Cochrane, Gravita’s head of VAT, will be presenting a 45 minute webinar on 3rd October 2023 addressing and explaining the main VAT problem areas that both contractors and subcontractors currently face in the construction industry. The areas she intends to cover will include: The domestic reverse charge: understanding the supply chain and whether the […]

Looking to recover the VAT you have incurred overseas, but you don’t have a VAT registration number in that particular country?

Written by VAT Partner, Sandy Cochrane Many UK companies wishing to submit their claims will be affected by the deadline of 30 September – depending on which EU country the claim needs to be made for.  Our team of VAT experts at Gravita work closely with our DFK colleagues all over the globe, to help […]

Staff summer parties, and the treatment of VAT

Written by VAT Partner, Sandy Cochrane With summer approaching, you may be starting to plan your work summer party. At Gravita, we are in the process of securing our summer venue as it is so important for us to get together as a team and have an evening of catching up, laughter, food, drinks, and […]

VAT and Sport …Private Tuition

Gravita’s tax consultant, Tim Palmer, gives his experiences relating to sporting private tuition and VAT. Many years ago, I was presenting a tax update lecture in Central London. During the course of the lecture, I reminded the delegates that if they had an individual client who was giving private tuition in a subject ordinarily taught […]

Mixed use property portfolio – 7th November 2023 deadline to submit certain annual adjustments for VAT periods ending on 30 September 2023

Written by VAT Partner, Sandy Cochrane It is commonplace for taxpayers to own UK property which contains a mixture of residential and commercial. For example, where a building will have commercial premises on the ground floor, and residential premises above. These taxpayers are likely to be partially exempt for UK VAT purposes, receiving taxable income […]

VAT option to tax: Increased risks on property transactions

From 1 February 2023, HMRC is reducing its option to tax service which will increase risks for taxpayers, their solicitors and agents when dealing with property transactions, especially when trying to achieve a VAT-free Transfer of a Going Concern (TOGC). Previously, HMRC have provided acknowledgement letters to taxpayers and their agents when an option to […]

VAT changes from 1 April 2022: Use of ‘rebated’ red diesel is much more restricted

Written by VAT Partner, Sandy Cochrane The use of ‘rebated’ red diesel (5% VAT) is restricted to a very small number of industry sectors (including agriculture, horticulture, fish farming, forestry and rail transport). HMRC says that businesses within certain sectors (i.e. construction, mining and quarrying, ports, manufacturing haulage for transport refrigeration units on lorries, road […]

VAT changes from 1st April 2022: End of temporarily reduced VAT rate for leisure and hospitality

Written by VAT Partner, Sandy Cochrane The VAT rate has returned to the standard rate, (currently 20%) for the leisure and hospitality sector. In July 2020, VAT was temporarily reduced from 20% to 5% for the hospitality, hotel and leisure sectors, including on the admission charges to certain attractions. This VAT cut was introduced in […]

Reverse charge for domestic construction services

Written by Tax Consultant, Ian MacGillivray As from 1st March 2021, those involved in construction services in the UK will, if their services fall within the relevant criteria, have to operate the reverse charge (RC). They will have to decide whether the procedure applies. If it does, its effect is to shift the responsibility to […]