While reclaiming vat ensure proper procedures are followed
If you have already paid vat on the services or goods more than once and would like to receive the original amount back then while reclaiming vat ensure proper procedures are followed. You can use the vat refund scheme to get back vat which may already have been paid earlier in order to reduce your costs as well as get respite from the problem of double taxation over your goods or services.
Although you will not be allowed to deduct the VAT amount of taxes directly from your next vat return, you will still be permitted to state that amount in a separate vat refund scheme. This scheme is available in the UK governed by certain conditions. Most eu countries that follow vat usually have such procedures where vat amounts which have previously been paid may be reclaimed. If you are a vat registered trader in the UK that does not have vat registration in the country of origin then you can claim any vat paid in that country provided you meet some other vat rules.
You can also claim vat paid in another eu country if you have not got relief through some other vat scheme. You will need 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 reclaiming rules might differ abroad, you might need the expertise of a specialist vat agent well-versed in uk vat and eu vat rules to ensure that you extract vat refunds from the relevant country. Your agent can act on your behalf as soon as you provide them with a power of attorney or even a letter or authority to accomplish this.
You can go for a vat reclaim no after 9 months within a calendar year after you’ve paid the vat amount. You will first need to register your business name and also 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 is a part of the vat online services offered by the hmrc vat website so as to reduce time and energy. As soon as you submit the required online vat form you’ll be issued an online reference number that may indicate that the request is received by the vat refund department.
While you will not need to send any paper documents, certain eu countries might request a scanned vat invoice to be attached with your vat refund request. Once you’ve sent your reclaiming request hmrc will send a confirmation regarding the same within 15 days while the concerned eu country will usually offer you a vat refund within 4 months, if all of your documents are in proper order. In the event any further details are required from that eu country you’ll be able to expect your vat reclaim to get settled after around 8 months of the original application.
To prevent the problem of double taxation, most eu countries which have adopted vat such as the UK offer vat refunds that can be claimed by using proper procedures and using proper applications. You too can reclaim vat paid in almost any other eu country that follows vat by reclaiming vat back from that eu country when you use the vat refund scheme.