Application for VAT Question

[bcomputing]

Hi,

I am just wondering how long it usually take from applying to knowing whether you can be VAT registered or not?

I applied last year, and had letters back asking for further document, letterheads etc. i sent them back, but have heard nothing for months.

I dont earn over the threshhold of £64,000 but, i was still wanting to register as it makes my business look a lot more professional. But, i can not get accounts with some of the biggest distribution companies without been VAT registered. So, in a sense, i need to be registeres to be taken seriously. lol.

Anyone got any advice about what i should do?

Cheers

Shaun
B Computing

 

[3pic]

I'm guessing by your username that you deal in computers, computer parts or mobile phones. If so, you are in for a very long wait.

I suggest you call the registration unit in Wolverhampton first of all and then whether you get through or not, follow up with a letter - contact details below :-

Wolverhampton
HM Revenue & Customs
Deansgate
62-70 Tettenhall Road
Wolverhampton
WV1 4TZ
Tel 0845 039 0129

It is a national scandal that some business are waiting a very long time for registrations simply because their trade is prone to fraud. Annoyingly, you cannot charge VAT on your sales until you have a VAT number, but if you have selected the VAT registration date as the date you sent the forms (or thereabouts), once you are registered, you will be expected to account for VAT from the date your originally supplied so your first VAT return will require you to pay all the output tax that you haven't charged your customers yet!.

Good luck and hope it all comes through soon.

 

[3pic]

I should add that the average turnaround time from applying to getting a VAT registration number is around 50 or so working days - give or take a week so if you've been waiting since last year then your application has been put into the high risk bracket and they'll be doing very thorough checks on you.

You should start contacting them in a regular but polite manner. By not hassling them, they could misconstrue this action as you not being comfortable with your application (ie, it is dodgy/false) and so you don't want to call.contact them.

HMRC have been criticised for taking upto a year to register high risk traders but they and the treasury have said 'tough luck'. there are some traders currently chasing HMRC through the European courts b ut may take a while.

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Average time is much less - see this link:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/agents/news-updates.htm

22 days.

 

[DIY Accounting]

Contact the vat office as advised.
The vat threshold increased to £67,000 p.a. from April 2008

 

[bcomputing]

thanks for the swift replies.

i am writing up a letter now asking for an update on my application, and will be in the post tonight.

Thanks for the advice.

Shaun Brereton
B Computing

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Online registration for my web based company took 5 working days.
I would recommend any new applications be made online.

 

[LianneF]

I would recommend filling the forms online too, did mine and my sisters online and got the vat numbers in a week

 

[David Griffiths]

Filling in forms online will speed the process by making sure that you don't miss any information off - the system will check what you are doing and prompt you to fill in the missing details.

However the main causes of delays in VAT registration are the checks that they make on new businesses in certain sectors where they have encountered carousel or other frauds. I'd expect that the people who have received their numbers quickly are not in those sectors. If you are caught in this, there's not a great deal that you can do apart from responding promptly to request for more information.

 

[Christiane]

It took 2 months last year from my application to get the VAT number, but I was already over the threshold, so owed them money before I registered.

I hope you get it sorted quickly, they record all documentations and phone calls so I'd keep hassling them nicely every week if I were you..