Charge for copy invoice ?

[roydmoorian]

Where a company has been sending invoices by internet by logging in to a website and then moved the business on to another provider is it reasonable for them to charge £7.50 for a copy in the current financial year because their original website is no longer active ?

 

[Walkol]

I'm confused. A company is charging £7.50 for a copy purchase invoice to be sent?

 

[smo]

No, I wouldnt pay for a copy invoice nor would I ever charge to send one!

 

[roydmoorian]

So I don't get a copy invoice and I lose £150.00 in VAT

 

[smo]

If its an invoice issued to you, how do you lose the money?

Surely you owe them money hence them issuing (or not) an invoice?

 

[roydmoorian]

They got the money by Direct Debit months ago.

 

[Walkol]

Mmm, i've never came across this before. Do you have anything in the contract about issuing invoices and collecting payment? Did they send, or give you a chance to download, the invoice in the first instance?

 

[roydmoorian]

I would have expected that under e-commerce rules then online access to PDF invoices should be available for a specified minimum period certainly 12 months if not more.

 

[smo]

What ecommerce rules do you think specifies such a thing?

In your case you have 2 options:

1) Stump up the £7.50 and claim the £150 VAT back you would otherwise miss out on.

2) Speak to a senior manager or director at said supplier and remind them of your good business and that if they wish to continue getting your money perhaps they could see fit to issue a copy invoice for no charge.

3) This one isnt strictly above board so not really on the list, but you could "create" an invoice which would suffice for the purposes of stuffing it in your accounts. It would only ever become a problem should you be subject to a VAT inspection.

 

[Nuno]

If you do take the third way, (which would tempt me), make sure you keep whatever details of attempts to get a duplicate, payment, etc., with the spoof invoice, (similar to the contemporaneous notes you make in a legal dispute).