Although the UK adopted the method of vat or value added tax in 1973, the country?s traders now pay taxes on services and goods as per vat act 1994. The act puts several vat regulations into place for efficient tax collection on taxable sales created in the United Kingdom.
The 1994 VAT act explains the meaning of value added tax on services and goods, specifies applications and exclusions just for this tax and also puts down a process of collecting and paying those taxes to Her Majesty?s Revenue and Customs Department or https://vatvalidation.com hmrc. The act specifies that goods that are imported into the UK with the objective of selling them again are subject to vat. This tax is slotted in 3 different vat rates. Although the vat act was established in 1994, the vat rates have changed through the years. Several eu countries like Germany, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Italy, Greece, etc have also implemented their very own version of the vat act which is quite similar in principle, although their vat rates too differ in accordance with their classifications.
Vat rates in the UK are broadly within 3 slabs. The standard vat rate in 2010 was 17.5% but is set to increase to 20% from January 4, 2011. The reduced vat rate is 5% and then there are usually certain goods and services associated with foods, children, hospitals, etc that attract zero vat rate or are vat exempt. The vat act 1994 also specifies on how a trader in the United Kingdom can join the vat system by turning into a vat registered trader. Currently, once a trader achieves a vat threshold limit of ?70K in taxable sales then that trader can apply for vat registration, although that move can be done before reaching the limit too.
The vat act also specifies the format of the vat invoice and the details that a vat registered trader needs to incorporate within that invoice. A trader will have to display the vat number, vat rate and total vat amount in each vat invoice. The trader must also file vat returns at the intervals specified by hmrc vat. The good thing about vat is when any trader has imported services or goods to the UK after paying vat on the very same in another eu country then that vat amount could be claimed back through an appropriate vat refund application.
Each eu country has similar rules based on their interpretation of the vat act. Even though the language may be different, most rules are the same. For instance, traders in Poland need to issue a faktura invoice, which is identical to a vat invoice, with the exception that it is issued in the Polish language. Most traders do end up hiring vat agents that have a comprehensive knowledge on eu vat and uk vat rules as well as complete knowledge of the vat act and its amendments in order to efficiently calculate and pay vat, file returns and claim vat refunds.
The vat act was brought to lay down the provisions of following a system of vat in the UK. A number of other countries too have now switched over to vat as an easy way of collecting taxes on goods and services. In the UK, however, traders have to pay taxes on goods and services as per vat act 1994 while also paying heed to regular changes in the act.