VAT Initiative Starts

Last month we warned you the Taxman was planning a campaign to encourage businesses to register for VAT. The Taxman is calling this campaign the 'VAT Initiative'.

To launch the VAT initiative the Taxman is writing to about 40,000 businesses whose turnover has apparently already exceeded the compulsory VAT registration threshold. Those businesses will be invited to register for VAT and pay over all the VAT owed since the date they should have registered, plus a low penalty of only 10% of the VAT outstanding. Those businesses that first exceeded the VAT threshold within the last 12 months may get away with a nil penalty, but it will be up to the Taxman to decide what level of penalty applies.

The requirement to register for VAT is based on total turnover in a 12 month rolling period and needs to be reviewed each month to determine if the business needs to register immediately. The compulsory VAT registration thresholds of turnover in the past 12 months is...

From 1 April 2011: £73,000
1 April 2010 - 31 March 2011: £70,000
1 May 2009 - 31 March 2010: £68,000
1 April 2008 - 30 April 2009: £67,000
1 April 2007 - 31 March 2008: £64,000
1 April 2006 - 31 March 2007: £61,000

The VAT initiative is also open to any business who has not received a letter from the Taxman, but believes they should have registered for VAT at some point in the past. If you want to take up the offer of low penalties for late VAT registration you need to tell HMRC you want to be part of this VAT initiative by 30 September 2011. We can assist you in doing this.

Once your notification has been processed you will receive a notification reference number (NRN), which you must quote on your application form to register for VAT (form VAT1). Without this notification number you will not be able to take advantage of the nil or 10% penalties on offer. The VAT1 form must be completed in paper form, (NOT online) and posted to the VAT initiative section to arrive by 31 December 2011.

Please talk to us before notifying HMRC of your intention to register for VAT. We can help you calculate any VAT due and any other tax owing on undeclared sales.