VAT

Latest news

Image for scottish finance director filed ps15m false vat returns

Business | Scottish finance director filed £1.5m in false VAT returns

The finance director of a century-old Scottish agricultural machinery business has been banned after under-declaring VAT to HMRC by more than £1.5m

15 Aug 2025

Tax | HMRC loses £9.3m Kittel case

A payroll company has won its appeal at the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) against more than £9m in penalties and VAT assessments as HMRC could not prove it was aware of VAT fraud

7 Aug 2025

Tax | Cosmetic surgery providers to be chased for unpaid VAT

HMRC has the cosmetic surgery industry in its sights as it believes up to £9.5bn in VAT was not paid in 2023-24, 17% higher than one year prior

5 Aug 2025

Tax

VAT

HMRC

Tax | HMRC wins £260m mini umbrella tax fraud case

A group of mini umbrella companies has lost a multimillion pound appeal at the Upper Tribunal against being de-registered by HMRC after they identified extensive VAT fraud taking place

1 Aug 2025

Tax | Uber VAT appeal driven out by Supreme Court

Taxi giant Uber has lost appeal over way VAT is charged as Supreme Court rules that operators cannot be forced to apply VAT to passenger fares in a landmark decision affecting online hailing platforms and bricks and mortar cab companies

29 Jul 2025

Tax

VAT

Image for one five smes struggle pay tax bills

Business | One in five SMEs struggle to pay tax bills

Nearly 500,000 SMEs have missed tax payment deadlines in the past three years with 19% admitting to missing five or more in the past 12 months

29 Jul 2025

Tax | HMRC wins £920k VAT dispute with London builder

A London construction company has lost an appeal over recovery of nearly £1m in input tax as transactions linked to fraudulent invoices and Kittel fraud

15 Jul 2025

Tax

VAT

Case Reports

Image for birmingham hospitality group slapped ps51m tax bill

Tax | Birmingham hospitality group slapped with £5.1m tax bill

A Birmingham based group of restaurants has lost its appeal against HMRC as directors ‘readily willing to mislead’ HMRC in its investigation into mass till suppression

7 Jul 2025

Tax | Glastonbury and festival season brings VAT complications

With the festival season well under way, traders and stall holders need to be aware of unexpected seasonal spikes in income and VAT registration rules, explains Alex Baulf, vice president of global indirect tax at Avalara

26 Jun 2025

Tax | Conservatory installer wins £60k VAT appeal

HMRC loses £60,000 VAT assessment due to the senior compliance officer failing to sign the assessment form in time, rendering the assessment out of time

24 Jun 2025

Tax | Employer NICs shoot up £1.9bn in May tax take

In just one month businesses have paid out nearly £2bn in extra employers’ National Insurance while capital gains tax take fluctuates by the month as hit by weak M&A market

20 Jun 2025

Tax | Food VAT legislation ‘doesn’t work’ says barrister

The definition of food when it comes to VAT has been argued upon for decades and is in need of urgent change, says leading tax barrister, as rules outdated and do not ‘stand the test of time’

19 Jun 2025

Tax

VAT

HMRC

Image for high court throws out private school parents vat appeal

Tax | High Court throws out private school parents VAT appeal

All private schools parents will still have to pay VAT on their fees after the High Court rules tax charge does not breach children’s human rights

13 Jun 2025

Tax | Financial intermediary wins £250k VAT appeal

HMRC has lost a £250,000 VAT case after tribunal ruled a sales lead company was acting as an intermediary when providing sales leads to independent financial advisors (IFAs)

11 Jun 2025

Tax | Dance instructors lose VAT exemption appeal

Dance teachers who ran private lessons appealed against VAT assessments by HMRC as they argued their classes were commonly taught in schools

9 Jun 2025

Tax | Drycleaners lose £25k tax appeal over Bank Holiday pricing

The owners of a dry cleaners in Camden have lost an appeal against personal liability notices (PLNs) after failing to prove the average price of their service was lower than HMRC said

5 Jun 2025