A regular VAT bulletin for all ICPA members Issue 1 – July 2012 VATUPDATE Welcome to your new newsletter A warm welcome to the first issue of VAT Update, a ‘VAT digest’ brought to you by the ICPA and VAT expert Vaughn Chown, keeping you up-to-date elcome to the first issue of our new quarterly newsletter, VAT Update. Written by Vaughn Chown of Gabelle, the independent tax advisers, it looks at some of the VAT issues that have arisen over the past three months. At the time of writing, no further information relating to the Budget announcements have been issued. Members could not have W failed to have heard, however, that changes to the hot food and caravan legislation will be made to accommodate representations presented during the consultation period which ended in May. Vaughn will be happy to discuss any of the topics covered or any other VAT-related matter. His contact details are on the back Tony Margaritelli, ICPA page. Joint ventures and VAT V AT relating to joint ventures is often a complex area requiring detailed analysis of the joint venture parties’ intent, the provision of services, if any, and the VAT liability of those services HMRC often consider that joint ventures do not exist unless detailed agreements between the parties are retained and that one party is, more often than not, providing services to the other joint venture party which are taxable at the standard rate often leading to irrecoverable VAT being incurred. In the VAT Tribunal case of Maritsan Developments Limited TC01971 published on 22 May 2012, a joint venture formed between two individuals had the intention of acquiring a property and selling it for a profit. The case provides some useful pointers as to when a joint venture exists and whether VAT is chargeable between the joint venture parties. The Tribunal made the following points: • The agreement between the individuals was in the nature of a joint venture. The fact that the joint venture arrangement was expressed with commendable brevity did not mean that it cannot exist as suggested by HMRC. The sharing of profits points towards the existence of a joint venture as do the pooling of resources, sharing of information and other acts towards a common goal. The agreement to share the net profit was prima facie evidence of the existence of a joint venture. The equal sharing of losses would be implied (Partnership Act 1890 s 24(1)). They expected to share expenses equally. The fact that they described their arrangement as a joint venture was of some significance, and seemed to the Tribunal to reflect the substance and reality of the situation as they had found it to be. • Each party contributed his particular skills, talents, abilities and business connections in pursuit of the common goal of acquiring the property and selling it at profit with the benefit of planning permission for residential development on a conditional back-to-back missives basis. That was each party’s capital contribution to the joint venture. None of this constituted supplies of services to either party. Neither party provided their services to the other for remuneration. • The activities of each party constituted their contribution to the capital of the joint venture. As such, that was not a supply of services for a consideration and was therefore outside the scope of VAT. • The substance and reality of the arrangements were that they were bound together as individuals in a joint venture. There was a joint venture; no VAT was therefore required to be charged between the parties. This case may be appealed, but it does offer some guidance as to how the Tribunals will review the VAT implications of a joint venture. Claims to HMRC for refunds of VAT in cases where HMRC have not accepted the existence of a joint venture and VAT has been charged and is irrecoverable by the recipient should be considered. VATUPDATE Security for VAT... pre packs, penalties and jurisdiction of the Tribunal T he recent case of The Distinctive Pub Company (Stratford) Limited TC01992, published on 1 June 2012, serves as a timely reminder that new VAT registrations and transfers of going concerns may be required to provide security to HMRC to enable them to continue to trade where a previous business has defaulted. The following observations were made by HMRC with regard to the transfer of the business comparing the Company with its predecessor: (1) The trading address was the same. (2) The trading style was the same. (3) There was no break in style between the two businesses. (4) The old business and assets were purchased from the administrators as a “Pre-pack sale”. (5) The purchase of the business and its assets from the administrators over a period of time was an indication that the business was not adequately funded causing concern that the VAT may be at risk. (6) The contracts of the employees were transferred to the Company. (7) Two directors of the Company were both directors of the old business. (8) The old business failed in January 2011 owing VAT debts of £62,067 plus direct taxes. (9) The old business had a history of VAT arrears dating back to February 2004, had several time to pay arrangements with the HMRC Debt Management Unit, had several unpaid cheques and had 20 periods of default surcharge from 1997. (10) Returns were rendered late without payment; the last return rendered was for 03/10. The appellant was a pub to whom HMRC referred to in a letter as a “cash trader” which had “received the VAT declared on returns, but chosen not to pass it over to HMRC by the due date as legally required”. At the time the request for security was made by HMRC the business had not submitted its first VAT Return, but by the time of the review it had been submitted albeit late. The subsequent return was filed and the VAT paid on time. The company stated it would submit monthly VAT returns and in the circumstances the amount of security was re-calculated on the basis of these returns to £7,650. The Company appealed to the Tribunal on the grounds that a period of regularly submitting and making monthly returns and payments over 12 months will prove that the business was not going to default again. Paragraph 4(2) of schedule 11 VATA HMRC may “require a taxable person, as a condition of his supplying or being supplied with goods or services under a taxable supply, to give security, or further security, for the payment of any VAT that is or may become due from” him “if they (the Commissioners) think it necessary for the protection of the revenue”. The jurisdiction of the Tribunal in an appeal against a requirement to provide security is only supervisory. It cannot substitute its own decision for that of the Commissioners. The only question the Tribunal can ask is whether the actions and decision of HMRC were unreasonable. For the appeal to be successful, it would have to be shown that the Commissioners took into account some irrelevant matter or had disregarded something to which they should have given weight. The Tribunal found that HMRC acted reasonably and had not taken irrelevant matters into account or failed to take into account all relevant matters at the time the decision to issue the Notice for Security was made. The Appeal was dismissed. This case clearly demonstrates that the Tribunal’s jurisdiction in security cases is supervisory and beyond determining whether HMRC have acted reasonably, they have no power to substitute their own decision. The requirement to provide security should be given consideration when transferring businesses as going concerns or from a pre pack sale. Disclaimer The information contained in this publication is for general guidance only. You should neither act, nor refrain from acting, on the basis of any such information. Professional advice should be taken based on particular circumstances, as the application of laws and regulations will vary. Please be aware that laws and regulations are also subject to frequent change. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct, neither the author nor his firm shall be liable in damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business or loss of profits) arising in contract, tort or otherwise from any information contained in it, or from any action or decision taken as a result of using any such information. VATUPDATE First-tier Tribunal allows suspension of a VAT penalty T he First-tier tribunal’s decision in Shelfside (Holdings) Ltd (published on 22 May 2012) highlights the availability of ‘suspended’ penalties and that HMRC do not always apply them correctly. The case involved errors in the company’s partial exemption calculations (for the VAT periods 8/10 and 11/10) with potential lost tax revenue of £53,160.60. In HMRC’s opinion, the company’s actions were deemed to have been ‘careless’ and HMRC raised a 15% penalty. The company appealed on the basis that, first, they had not been careless and, secondly, even if the tribunal were to find they had not taken reasonable care, the penalty should be suspended under paragraph 14, Schedule 24 FA2007, or mitigated in some way. The tribunal found that the company had not taken reasonable care by not seeking professional VAT advice; however, due to the confusing and difficult nature of the partial exemption calculation, it found that the penalty should have been suspended. Suspended penalties were introduced in the 2007 Finance act. Paragraph 14, Schedule 24 provides HMRC with the power to suspend all or part of the penalty, provided the person complies with the conditions imposed. The conditions could be on a specific action which may need to be completed - sometimes within a specified time scale. It is important to note that a penalty cannot be suspended if the actions resulting in the inaccuracy are found to be deliberate. Advisers who are entering penalty negotiations may wish to consider requesting a suspension of the penalty and then working with HMRC to put together achievable compliance conditions for their clients going forward. VAT liability on the supply of phone cards T he European Court of Justice has decided in the case of Lebara [2012] ECJ-520/10 that the supply of phone cards by Lebara to distributors in other member states who then on-sold the cards to customers involved a single supply of telecommunication services by Lebara. HMRC contended that there were two supplies by Lebara, being the issue of the card and the redemption of the card by the end user, both of which were subject to VAT. However, the Court found that only a single supply of telecommunication services was made. Lebara only received a single actual payment in the course of supplying its telecommunication services. Further, that payment could not be treated as a payment made to Lebara by the end user, even if the resale of the phone card by the distributor ultimately leads to the burden of making that payment being passed on to the end user. Lebara sold phone cards to distributors for an amount lower than the face value of the cards. The distributors, acting in their own name and not as agents of Lebara, resold the cards at their face value. The phone cards were activated by Lebara following a request by the distributor, provided that the distributor had paid for them. Lebara did not know the identity of the user, but had systems in place which enabled it to track each card sold, whether the card was still valid, the amount of unused credit and the numbers called - the distributors did not have access to that system. Lebara did not account for VAT on the sale of phone cards to distributors on the basis that the transaction was a supply of telecommunication services in the Member State in which the distributor was established and that, in consequence, it was the distributor which had to pay the VAT in that Member State in accordance with the reverse charge mechanism. Lebara contended that the actual use of the card did not entail the supply by Lebara, for consideration, of services to the end user. The Court agreed that there was a single supply of telecommunication services subject to VAT in the distributors’ member states under the reverse charge. As a result of this case HMRC have issued Revenue & Customs Brief 12/2012 VAT: Changes to the treatment of single purpose face value vouchers published on 10 May 2012. This confirms that a new clause will be introduced in the Finance Bill to amend VAT ACT 1994 Sch10A so that single-purpose face value vouchers will be subject to VAT when they are issued rather than on redemption. A single-purpose face value voucher according to HMRC, is one that carries the right to receive only one type of goods or services all subject to a single rate of VAT. HMRC provide the following example which they confirm is not affected by the decision despite all the supplies being at the same rate of VAT...” A cinema operator sells face value vouchers which can be redeemed for any services or goods provided in its venues, for example watching the film, buying popcorn or merchandise. As these are supplies of more than one type, such vouchers will not be affected by this change and the normal Schedule 10A rules will continue to apply.” The new accounting procedure will be effective from Royal Assent to the 2012 Finance Bill. However, VAT repayment claims may be possible for transactions before that date which have been incorrectly taxed. VATUPDATE Businesses may be overpaying VAT on road fuel for private use n Revenue & Customs Brief 11/12VAT: Road Fuel Scale Charges (RFSCS) – issued on 25 April – HMRC has confirmed that businesses may have been overpaying VAT on road fuel for private use when using the RFSCS. Reclaims of VAT are possible for the past 4 years and possibly ex gratia payments prior to that. Businesses generally have to account for VAT on the private use of road fuel by accounting for a road fuel scale charge. HMRC has historically issued the charges applicable to vehicles on an annual basis. Where a business had provided fuel to an employee for their private use and had made a charge for that fuel, the business had been required to account for VAT on the basis of the RFSCS, unless I they had accounted for VAT on the basis of detailed records of private mileage or the charge made was at least for the cost of the fuel. HMRC now recognises that accounting for VAT using the RFSCS is not always correct. A business that has made a charge for the private use of the fuel should be given the option of accounting for VAT on the basis of the amount charged to the employee rather than the RFSCS. VAT on the overpayments will be repaid by HMRC. Any businesses that consider they have overpaid VAT as a result of this HMRC error should submit a claim for repayment of the difference between the amount already accounted for and the amount due on the basis of the charge to the employee. HMRC’s interpretation too restrictive in zero rated construction case new dwelling built in its place. The planning and conservation consents followed the application and required the work done to follow that proposal. HMRC argued that a new dwelling was not being built and the construction services did not therefore qualify for zero rating. They contended that for zero rating to apply, the retention of a façade had to be as a result of the planning consent, not simply requested as part of the planning application. The VAT Tribunal disagreed with HMRC and allowed the appeal and zero rating on the basis that if there was a positive requirement for retention of the relevant façade, whatever the reason for its imposition, the relevant statutory condition had been met. Businesses should review past claims for zero rating of residential buildings which have been denied where walls have been retained as there may be reclaims available. T he First-tier tribunal in the case of the Trustees of the Eaton Mews Trust (TC 01943, decided on 20 April 2012) has allowed a claim for zero rating in relation to a new build even though the retention of some of the original walls was proposed in the planning application itself. The planning application had proposed that the party walls on either side and the rear wall of an existing dwelling in a terrace should remain, with the rest of the building, which was in a conservation area, then demolished and a When is income not liable to VAT? I n the First Tier Tribunal case of Dr Amir Ali Majid [2012] UKFTT 144(TC) published on 6 March 2012, HMRC sought to argue that income from Dr Majid’s self employed office as a part-time Immigration Judge rendered him liable to VAT registration due to the level of his taxable supplies. However, the Tribunal considered there was no clear association between his past practice as a barrister and his acceptance of the office of Immigration Judge. Dr Majid was not liable to be registered for VAT solely in respect of his earnings as a part-time Immigration Judge and accordingly the Tribunal allowed his appeal. This was an unusual and exceptional case but highlights an important distinction between being self employed for direct tax purposes and a taxable person for VAT purposes. The Tribunal found that the process by which HMRC arrived at the decision that Dr Majid was liable to register for VAT omitted a step in the required logic. Merely because Dr Majid had been deemed for income tax purposes to be self-employed, it was assumed by HMRC that he was a taxable person for VAT purposes and that he should therefore have been registered. The question whether he was a person independently carrying on an economic activity did not appear to have been asked. In the Tribunal’s view, this led to an erroneous decision by HMRC. His legal qualification was (and is) essential to his role as an Immigration Judge, but there was no evidence that he accepted the role as part of his practice. Accordingly, the Tribunal found that he did not fall within VATA 1994 s 94(4). This case highlights an important issue when considering VAT registration often overlooked in EU legislation...a person must be independently carrying on an economic activity. VATUPDATE ‘Private benefit’ charges will affect business entertainment VAT claims meeting to proceed without interruption, then a private use charge will not apply. If there is no other alternative than to hold a meeting outside the office, only similar basic provisions would be allowable. Hospitality provided following a meeting will not meet the strict business purpose test and neither will hospitality involving the provision of alcohol. Taking a customer to a restaurant is very likely to lead to a private use charge. H CORPORATE HOSPITALITY EVENTS: Many businesses offer their customers or potential customers’ general entertainment and hospitality. Examples include: – golf days – track days – trips to sporting events – evening meals – trips to nightclubs Where the related expenditure is incurred for the purpose of the business, and recovered, an output tax charge will be due. This is because such events are unlikely to have a strict business purpose or are necessary for the business to make its supplies. If the entertainment provided triggers a private use charge the business can treat the VAT incurred as non-deductible rather than deducting the input tax and offsetting with an output tax charge. Businesses should consider the particular facts of each claim and whether the claim for input tax is incurred necessarily for the taxable person to provide goods or services. HMRC apply the private benefit charge on a “strict business purpose test” basis which can often be challenged. MRC’s revised Business Entertainment Notice 700/65 issued on 29 February 2012 states that a ‘private benefit’, triggering an output tax charge, will arise in almost all cases where business entertainment is provided and the VAT is reclaimed on entertaining overseas customers. This interpretation by HMRC has not been widely publicised, in what appears to be HMRC effectively trying to close the door on reclaiming VAT on the cost of foreign business entertainment. HMRC say that to avoid the output tax charge, the business can decide to reclaim no VAT on entertainment and treat the input tax as non deductible. HMRC consider that hospitality provided because it would be polite, because it is expected, or because it would improve relationships is not for strict business purposes and would incur an output tax charge if the VAT on expenditure was reclaimed. Examples of HMRC’s VAT treatment of business entertainment taken from the new notice are set out below: MEETINGS: If normal basic food and refreshments such as sandwiches and soft drinks are provided in your office during a meeting to enable the VAT exemption for financial advice: Retail Distribution Review (RDR) T he FSA have introduced changes in the way in which financial services businesses generate their income and as a result have introduced The Retail Distribution Review (RDR), which requires advisers to move from receiving commissions to fees agreed with customers. Where advisers can evidence the arrangement of a Retail Investment Product for a customer their services will be exempt from VAT. Evidence is crucial to the verification of exempt supplies. HMRC’s proposed guidance provides some clarity to the confusion which has reigned for the past few months. Investment advisers are however, still faced with applying the circumstances of their business to determine the correct VAT liability. HMRC consider there are six possible services being supplied which are: • Gather information about the customer. • Carry out research to find suitable investment options. • Provide the customer with reports, forecasts and financial health checks. • Recommend specific products and discuss prices at which they can be arranged. • Act between the product provider and the customer with a view to arranging the sale of the Retail Investment Products agreed with the customer. • Review and monitor the continuing needs of the customer where agreed. HMRC consider that all the services above will be exempt from VAT where they are within the agreement concluded with the customer and importantly where the adviser performs the services outlined in the fifth bullet point above AND retains evidence that they have performed that service. If no evidence is retained by the adviser the services will be standard rated. In addition, where any of the services are contracted for separately they will be considered liable to VAT at the standard rate. The VAT liability will depend upon what is done – not the fee arrangement. To exempt their services, an adviser will need to keep sufficient evidence to support the VAT treatment applied to the services. The evidence will need to be specific to the services performed for the customer and demonstrate that the adviser acted between the customer and the product provider with a view to arranging Retail Investment Products. Retail Investment Products as defined by the FSA are: • A life policy. • A unit. • A stakeholder pension scheme. • A personal pension scheme. • An interest in an investment trust savings scheme. • A security in an investment trust. • Any other designated investment which offers exposure to underlying financial assets, in a packaged form which modifies that exposure when compared with a direct holding in the financial asset. • A structured capital at risk product. Financial advisers should ensure their contracts are properly drafted and their services evidenced to take advantage of the VAT exemption offered. VATUPDATE A timely reminder to Intrastat review grant funding Declarations F and its VAT liability A berdeen Sports Village Limited found itself before the First-tier Tribunal over the VAT liability of the funding provided by its joint venture partners, Aberdeen University and Aberdeen City Council. Aberdeen Sports Village provides sports facilities at its regional facility and received ‘Annual Grant Funding’ from Aberdeen University and Aberdeen City Council. Aberdeen Sports Village considered that the funding was a donation and therefore was not subject to VAT. HMRC disagreed, and raised assessments totalling £352,472 to collect VAT on sums received from Aberdeen University and Aberdeen City Council, contending that the amounts were consideration for taxable supplies made. The Tribunal agreed with HMRC and considered that Aberdeen University and Aberdeen City Council received a number of tangible benefits from Aberdeen Sports Village and that the “Annual Grant Funding” was consideration for them. The appeal was dismissed. This case highlights the need to consider funding arrangements carefully to determine whether taxable supplies are being made. rom 1 April 2012, businesses that are required to submit Intrastat declarations must submit them on line or by some other electronic format by the 21st day of the month. This means that declarations will be due 21 days after the end of the month in which the business has EU trade to declare. HMRC must, for example, receive the June 2012 Intrastat declaration by 21 July. Failure to submit or incorrect submission of Intrastat declarations can lead to criminal penalties being imposed, although HMRC often will compound any penalties. A new opportunity to reclaim VAT on pre-registration expenditure H MRC have formally clarified reclaims of VAT under Regulation 111 of the VAT Regulations 1995. Within set time limits, this will now allow VAT to be recovered on business assets on hand at the date of VAT registration provided the assets were intended for business use when the VAT was incurred. The time limit for goods is four years. Where a business deregisters due to reduced turnover, output tax on goods on hand at de-registration may have to be declared under Paragraph 8 of Schedule 4 of VATA 1994. This is a deemed self-supply when a person ceases to be VAT registered. If the business turnover increases again after de-registration the business may once again become a taxable person and have to register for VAT. If this occurs, and to the extent that the goods are still held and will be used in the new VAT registration, VAT on the deemed supply at de-registration can be considered when establishing an input tax claim under regulation 111. Although there will be no VAT invoice to support any such claim, HMRC will allow alternative evidence to reclaim the VAT on registration. HMRC will accept proof that payment of VAT on the deemed supply was made to HMRC on de-registration. This will be accepted as alternative evidence in support of an input tax claim, allowing deduction under regulation 111 of the VAT Regulations 1995. Input tax claims where the goods fall under the capital goods scheme must, however, be made under the capital goods scheme. Capital goods scheme items will not be subject to the four-year time limit. VAT Update is produced for the ICPA by Armstrong Media (0207 216 6427). It is written by Vaughn Chown, Head of VAT at Gabelle LLP (see www.gabelletax.com). He can be contacted on 020 7182 4034 or 07730 217337; or by email at [email protected]. VAT Update is published quarterly, in July, October, January and April. For details contact The ICPA, Imperial House, 1a Standen Avenue, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 6AA. Tel: 0800 074 2896/Fax: 01708 453 123. Email: [email protected]. Web: www.icpa.org.uk
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