The temporary 5% reduced rate of VAT introduced for certain children’s meals, tickets and family attractions ended on 1 September 2026. The relief applied from 25 June 2026 and was intended to reduce the cost of selected activities and services for families during the summer holidays.
The relief
A strong VAT control system should clearly identify who is responsible for VAT, document the processes involved and regularly check that controls are working. HMRC also recommends keeping procedures up to date when the business, its systems or the VAT rules change.
Businesses should also review how
Businesses that register for VAT may be able to reclaim VAT paid on certain goods and services purchased before VAT registration.
There are specific time limits for claiming pre-registration VAT. VAT on goods can generally be reclaimed where the goods are still held by the business or have been
Small businesses have several VAT schemes available that can simplify VAT administration and may help with cash flow. However, as a business grows or its circumstances change, it is important to review whether the VAT scheme being used is still the best for your business.
The main VAT special
The Government has launched a consultation on proposals that could significantly change the way VAT is collected on goods sold through online marketplaces. Although the changes are not yet law, they could affect thousands of UK businesses that use online platforms to reach customers.
The
Businesses must register for VAT if their taxable turnover exceeds the VAT registration threshold, or if they expect it to exceed the threshold in certain circumstances.
The VAT registration threshold is currently £90,000. The threshold applies to the value of taxable supplies made by a
If your business is VAT registered, you can usually reclaim VAT on many of the goods and services you buy for business purposes. However, many businesses fail to claim everything to which they are entitled and may be able to recover more VAT.
You can normally reclaim VAT on business purchases
The option to tax is a VAT election that allows businesses to treat supplies of most non-residential land and buildings as taxable rather than VAT exempt. Once an option to tax is made, supplies in relation to that property are generally subject to VAT at the standard rate.
One of the key
The VAT Cash Accounting Scheme can help businesses improve cash flow by allowing VAT to be accounted for when customers actually pay invoices, rather than when invoices are issued. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses that offer credit terms or experience delays in customer
Businesses that lease cars often assume they can recover all of the VAT charged on car leasing payments. In practice, the rules are more limited.
Where a business leases a qualifying car, HMRC normally only allows 50% of the VAT on the leasing charges to be reclaimed. The restriction is designed