VAT Registration in the UK

VAT is an abbreviation for Value Added Tax that was established in the UK in 1973. Businesses are not affected by VAT which is solely borne by the consumers - it is a tax on consumer expenditure and is collected on business transactions and imports.
The people are taxed in almost every area - income tax and even consumer expenditure tax. This is how the UK government earn revenue from its citizen to pay for infrastructure, road expansion, government machinery, etc. VAT is charged at each stage in the supply of goods and services as imports are shipped to the UK. A business entity must apply for VAT registration UK if it has made Pound Sterling of 64,000 of taxable supplies in the last 1 year. However, the business can deregister if it can satisfy Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that taxable supplies for the following year will not be more than Pound Sterling 64,000.

VAT UK is borne by the consumers

Whatever the UK citizen spend on, they will be tax in almost every area from services to imports of products. When they dine in the restaurant, they will also be taxed for the eatery services that need to hire cooks, waiters and waitresses to serve meals to them. When you dine outside, your company can file for tax return on the gross receipt. You can claim back from the authorities for the finances spent on food and entertainment. VAT UK can refund you after you have filed for tax returns at the end of the year.

Tax Exempt

Depending on the nature of the products, certain other supplies are exempt, whereby no tax is charged to the customer. These include education, health and welfare, many land-related supplies, insurance, finance and non profit sport clubs. So you can be rest assured that your kids' education in school is also tax exempt as education is the key to building a nation. It is compulsory for every parent to send their kids to school for early education so that they can in turn contribute back to society when they become adults. Hence, to encourage parents to school their children, education is tax exempt from VAT UK.

Welfare and health care is also exempt from VAT registration UK as these are pivotal issues that consumers spend to be healthy and to be cured from sickness in the hospitals and medical clinics. The money spent on diagnosis and prognosis of the illness will not be tax and this is crucial for the consumers and general public alike.

Insurance is another area that is VAT UK exempt. People need to buy insurance to protect their finances from depleting in case of the discovery of critical illness or some auto accidents on the road. The UK federal government has wisely chosen which areas of society expenditure need to pay for VAT UK and which areas are tax exempt.

VAT Registration

Basically, VAT Registration UK entails filling a detailed form and enclosing a number of documents and complying with many other formalities for registration. It does not have to be a difficult process if you can find the right company to assist you.

www.accounting-on-line.com

By Natali Leeds
Published: 10/13/2008
 
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