Minor VAT question

[meanttobeworking]

I bought a printer for £259.99.

I paid for it using an Argos gift card, purchased at discount through IPSE/Perkbox for £244.40.

Argos will not issue a VAT receipt for it because they state they only do that when the payment method is credit or debit card.

Obviously there's no concept of a VAT receipt for the purchase of the gift card.

Have I lost the opportunity to reclaim the VAT on this purchase as I have no evidence, or can I calculate the VAT element myself? If I can calculate it myself, presumably I base it on the full purchase price (as that's what will be passed on to the VAT man) rather than the discounted price I paid for the gift card.

Email logged with my accountant, but hopeful for a quicker response on here.

Thanks.

[northernladuk]

Why email them? Why not just ring them?

Sell it to NLUK Ltd for cost plus £50 and you'll get your printer back with an invoice including VAT for £599 . Everyone happy.

[meanttobeworking]

Why email them? Why not just ring them?

I rung them, they didn't answer, I emailed them. I didn't think it was massively relevant to the question. Let me know if you need more though :P

[meanttobeworking]

Update for anyone finding this via search in the future - just hassle Argos and they eventually get the back office team to generate a VAT receipt for you, even though the website says they can't.

[northernladuk]

I rung them, they didn't answer, I emailed them. I didn't think it was massively relevant to the question. Let me know if you need more though :P

It's not really but you'd be surprised the number of people we get where they think communicating or chasing can only be done by email so just putting the question out there. It seems youngsters these days forget that can still speak to people directly instead of relying on email/social media

[meanttobeworking]

It's not really but you'd be surprised the number of people we get where they think communicating or chasing can only be done by email so just putting the question out there. It seems youngsters these days forget that can still speak to people directly instead of relying on email/social media

Well he didn't reply to my telegram so I had to up the stakes....

[northernladuk]

Well he didn't reply to my telegram so I had to up the stakes....

Break out the carrier pigeons!!

[Lance]

Send it back for a full refund.

Seriously though. If VAT has been charged they MUST provide a VAT receipt on request. It's a legal obligation.

[malvolio]

Just a wild thought

Is the OP buying company materiel via a personal account? If you have a business account with Amazon, as all right thinking contractors would, then VAT invoices are not an issue.

I suspect they are tricky for personal accounts because 99% of their customers would get confused by one.

[eek]

Send it back for a full refund.

Seriously though. If VAT has been charged they MUST provide a VAT receipt on request. It's a legal obligation.

That depends on where the VAT is actually charged. It may have been on the voucher in which case different rules apply - see VAT: treatment of vouchers from 1 January 2019 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and When do you Pay VAT on Gift Cards? | Aston Shaw has an overview.

I suspect Argos' website is right here and the VAT receipt should be coming Perkbox rather than Argos.