While reclaiming vat ensure proper procedures are followed
If you have already paid vat on the services or goods again and want to receive the original amount back then while reclaiming vat ensure proper procedures are followed. You can use the vat refund scheme for getting back vat which may have already been paid earlier in order to lower your costs as well as get relief from the issue of double taxation over your goods or services.
While you will not be allowed to deduct the VAT amount of taxes straight from the next vat return, you still be allowed to claim that amount in the separate vat refund scheme. This scheme is available in the United Kingdom governed by certain terms and conditions. Most eu countries that follow vat will often have such procedures where vat amounts which have already been paid can be reclaimed. If you are a vat registered trader in the UK that does not have vat registration in the country of origin you’ll be able to claim any vat paid in that country provided you meet a few other vat rules.
You can also claim vat paid in another eu country if you have not got relief through any other vat scheme. You will have to make use of a standard vat reclaiming form from the HM revenue and customs or hmrc vat website that looks after the customs, excise and vat department in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, since the reclaiming rules might differ abroad, you’ll need the expertise of a specialist vat agent well-versed in uk vat and eu vat rules to ensure that you extract vat refunds in the relevant country. Your agent can act in your stead once you provide them with a power of attorney or a letter or authority to accomplish this.
It is possible to go for a vat reclaim no later than 9 months in a year or so after you’ve paid the vat amount. You may first have to register your organization name and your agent?s name too in the event you intend on reclaiming vat through your agent. You should use the hm vat refunds service that’s a part of the vat online services provided by the hmrc vat website so as to reduce time and effort. Once you submit the required online vat form you will be issued an online reference number that may indicate that the request has been received by the vat refund department.
While you will not need to send any paper documents, certain eu countries might ask for a scanned vat invoice to generally be attached to your vat refund request. Once you have sent your reclaiming request hmrc will be sending a confirmation about the same within 15 days even though the concerned eu country will normally provide you with a vat refund within 4 months, if all your documents are in proper order. In case further information is required from that eu country you’ll be able to expect your vat reclaim to be settled after around 8 months of your original application.
In order to avoid the problem of double taxation, most eu countries that have adopted vat including the UK offer vat refunds that may be claimed by using proper procedures and using proper applications. You too can claim back vat paid in any other eu country that follows vat by reclaiming vat back from that eu country when you use the vat refund scheme.