smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Short-term finance

Rory Earley, CEO of Capital for Enterprise, explores the options...
Have your say »

RSS

Q: We have clients that send invoices to the States with VAT. Could you detail how the US firm goes about claiming back VAT. And conversely if we are charged VAT here from a country in say, Norway, how we go about reclaiming the VAT.

Aug 17 2005

Answered by: Clive Lewis Ask a question

Customs and Excise say that when goods are exported from the UK they should not have any VAT put on them. If there is VAT, it will have been imposed by US Customs and Excise and equivalent. There seems no apparent reason why your clients should charge VAT in the first place - they shouldn't be.

Conversely, if you are importing goods your supplier should not be charging you any duty. However, import duty in the form of VAT is added by the UK Customs and Excise to your imports. This is treated in exactly the same way as any other VAT when it comes to being able to reclaim it.

Ask Customs and Excise for Notices 702 and 703 or print them off their web site (www.hmce.gov.uk).

Comments

There are currently no comments on this article

Fixed fee banking puts you in control

Our simple fixed fee banking means you’ll always know where you stand. It’s just one of the reasons why we’ve been named Moneyfacts Best Business Current Account provider for the 10th year running. Find out more.

Barclays Business Start Up Account

Get everything you'd expect from a Barclays Business account…Free business banking for up to 2 years (Ts&Cs apply). Free day-to-day support from our Barclays Business Team by phone 24/7 and Mobile Banking, manage your account quickly and easily from a web-enabled phone. Apply online.

Make business more rewarding with up to 3% cashback on your Barclaycard business credit card spend

Reward those unavoidable costs you already face every day in your business. Things like office supplies & stationery, legal and accounting services, computer equipment and support. Plus get 0% interest on purchases for 3 months from account opening. Terms & conditions apply. Find out more.

Polls

Tax and vat Questions & Answers

Tax and Finance

Chas Roy-Chowdhury, ACCA Ask a question

Clive Lewis is Head of SME Issues at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

Tax and VAT expert

Clive Lewis, ICAEW Ask a question

Business funding advice

Mark Endersby, Funding Solutions Ask a question

News

smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Revenue falls represent more choppy waters for small businesses to navigate

SME revenue fall a ‘blip’

Small business domestic turnover decreased by 7 per cent between Q4 2011 and Q1 2012, research finds.

SMEs could be in line for tax rebate

Hundreds of thousands of UK small business owners are due a sizeable tax rebate from HMRC, according to a tax specialist.

Wonga enters business loan market

Short-term loan provider Wonga is set to launch a business loan service, which wlll reportedly make funds available within 15 minutes of an application.

SMEs fear postal rate change

Four in five UK small and medium-sized businesses believe that today’s postal rate change will have a negative impact on their company.

SME credit management falls short

Few companies use formal procedures to tackle the problem of late payment, a survey finds.

SMEs committed to keeping staff

One in 20 small business owners have remortgaged their own homes to free up money to pay wages and retain employees.

Recovery depends on investment

The UK won’t begin to prosper until cash stockpiled by corporates is put back into the economy, says a senior economic advisor at Ernst & Young.

HMRC criticised for IT disruption

HMRC’s decision to shut down its entire IT systems for nearly a week, just days before the end of the current tax year, has been criticised by the Forum of Private Business.

Stamp price changes 'bad for business'

Small businesses will be hit with significant increases in the cost of postal services after an Ofcom announcement allowing Royal Mail bosses to set stamp prices themselves.

Budget 2012: Tax admin simplified for small businesses

Small companies will be taxed on the amount of cash passing through their businesses rather than through more complicated methods used for large companies.

Budget 2012: Patent box praised by SMEs

Patent legislation announced in the Budget has been hailed as ‘key to ensuring manufacturing continues in the UK’.

Guides & Tips

UK small businesses have until 30th September 2011 to notify HMRC that they should be registered for VAT

Don't forget the VAT deadline

Why small businesses must get their books in order, and fast.

Your company could be eligible for R&D Tax Relief

Claiming R&D Tax Relief

SmallBusiness.co.uk explores why it’s worth it for innovative companies to claim R&D Tax Relief.

New penalties for incorrect tax returns

Penalties for incorrect tax returns and documents have changed so please check your records are accurate and up to date.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

The FT Guide to Personal Tax is published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and John Bloxham, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as over 230 tax-saving tips.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

The FT Guide to Business Start Up 2012, published by Pearson Education, is written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc. This unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.