Voluntary VAT registering???!!

Nosht

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

I would never be good at evasion - failing memory, not a good liar and don't qualify for the "nothing left to lose" tag.
(Someone told me that in Germany if you pay a tradesman in tax and he is later found to be evading tax the client as well as the tradesman are in hot water?!)

It is sad that in some trade it is difficult to make an honest living without "fiddling" in some way or another.
I have no problem in arranging client affairs for legal minimisation of tax
I trust you are well paid for your services - but how socially useful they are is debatable.:D

I hope you are able to offer them lots of advice on how to trade more efficiently rather than just how to dodge tax.

The undertaker at my uncle's funeral in Spain wanted paid in cash. :eek:

N.

John_Pierpoint

I used the verb "dodge" as a catch all for paying less tax. Something we all have to do now that taxes and borrowings are reaching 50% of GDP?
Today on here I suggested that a pensioner should check their additional personal allowance to make sure they has not strayed into the claw back zone and so be paying tax at 30%.
If they went out and bought (say) inflation proof national savings, they would be dodging the 30% tax - by restructuring their "investment portfolio". But there would be no net gain to the economic efficiency of our country from their actions.

It is just a game of poacher and gamekeeper between tax official and accountant, but who is breeding and feeding the pheasants?

sunshinetours

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

I used the verb "dodge" as a catch all for paying less tax. Something we all have to do now that taxes and borrowings are reaching 50% of GDP?
Today on here I suggested that a pensioner should check their additional personal allowance to make sure they has not strayed into the claw back zone and so be paying tax at 30%.
If they went out and bought (say) inflation proof national savings, they would be dodging the 30% tax - by restructuring their "investment portfolio". But there would be no net gain to the economic efficiency of our country from their actions.

It is just a game of poacher and gamekeeper between tax official and accountant, but who is breeding and feeding the pheasants?

I think we will disagree on the use of the word dodge but I do take your other points.

happywarmgun

I'm currently 'voluntarily' registering for VAT.

In my case I run a software development company. My first 9 months (if I stay on schedule) are all product development so I have no income whatever. The software is to sell to government who are all used to VAT so there is no sales disincentive from my having to charge VAT. Also - if I don't turnover 65k next year then I've wasted this year of my life! So my logic was to register early and reclaim all the VAT on my setup costs (IT equipment, development software etc).
I am glad I started early with the application - as it is now 15 weeks since I first applied and I have just sent off my second wedge of documents to prove my 'intent to trade' - and still I am not VAT registered.

So don't imagine it's straightforward applying - their starting point seems to be they think you're a fraudster! (in some ways this is reassuring - but in others it is infuriating!)