Filing in a VAT Return when on flat rate.

[SueEllen]

Send your spreadsheet to your agent, get them to give you the numbers that you should be entering into your VAT return, enter it yourself, then pay your VAT return. Works for me.

Otherwise, what are you paying your accountant for? Would you buy a dog and bark yourself?

I went on a VAT course ages ago. The advice the inspector, who ran the course, gave was to understand your VAT yourself that way you are forced to look at your books and can see if anything is wrong.

VAT inspectors do not accept it as an defence that someone did your VAT for you. She stated when she use to go around to small businesses/individuals and was given every excuse under the book why their VAT returns were incorrect.

Myself and the entire group were then told more things we could claim VAT on showing that lots of accountants and bookkeepers give out incorrect advice which isn't surprising due to having to deal with different types of businesses who do different things. In my case I was told by my then accountant, to put down an expense as entertainment.

Oh and completing VAT returns is trivial even if you have more than one client. It's when you have loads of clients like shops where it becomes a pain.

[Michael at BI Accountancy]

My accounts advice was wrong (I assume he doesn't realise that I went onto the FRS... either that or I need to change accountants)

I would definitely raise the question why your accountant has given incorrect advice.

They should have picked up on the fact it's likely FRS if no purchases are being listed on the return!

[Contreras]

My question to you all what should the value of box 6 be? Lets see whos accountant is right!

Assuming VAT flat rate scheme...

It's gross turnover, £1200.

The HMRC form is wrong.

Trust no one.

HTH

[jamesbrown]

They used to include supplies that were outside the scope of UK VAT in Box 6 which was wrong (they shouldn't appear on your return at all)

I don't know where you got that from (I assume the inspector that checked?), but it's wrong. Perhaps you weren't including it(?) See here, specifically section 3.7, "Filling in box 6".

Edit: oh, my apologies, having read the thread more carefully (), I see now that you're referring to FRS accounting. Yes, supplies that are outside of the scope of UK VAT are not included in the FRS turnover and hence not included in Box 6. This is alluded to in section 4.1 of the above link:

Enter the turnover to which you applied your flat rate percentage, including VAT. You should also include the value, excluding VAT, of any supplies accounted for outside the Flat Rate Scheme, such as the sale of any capital goods on which you have reclaimed input VAT, and reverse charge transactions. Also include any amount you have entered in box 8.

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Yes that's right, I was talking about the FRS.

The reverse charge mechanism is another thing that until recently FreeAgent didn't handle at all. How many people on here remember to reverse charge any purchases they make from suppliers outside the UK and enter it on the VAT return?

[jamesbrown]

Yes that's right, I was talking about the FRS.

The reverse charge mechanism is another thing that until recently FreeAgent didn't handle at all. How many people on here remember to reverse charge any purchases they make from suppliers outside the UK and enter it on the VAT return?

Me

Bloody invoice from Google Ireland Limited every month

[mudskipper]

A question we all asked at the beginning - shows we're paying attention