Amazon VAT invoice splitting!?

LyntonB

hello, I've had some difficulties ordering a VAT reclaim type order through my company with Amazon.co.uk recently. I'm not sure why they do it, they pretend it's something to do with dispatch centres but when I try place a large order the system splits it into smaller ones with their own invoices. All are sold by Amazon EU S.A.R.L. so I cannot figure out why their policy does this. I've been onto their help support. Is it a tax dodging measure or something? Has anyone been able to order a large number of parts e.g. I.T. in a single >£2k order and reclaimed VAT?
Thanks in advance

[Deleted User]

Amazon have warehouses all over Europe. Each one will have its own invoice - it's unimportant to most end users but I have noted sometimes that an order with multiple items will be billed separately. As long as the total is the same, who cares?

If you don't like it, don't shop with them. Simples.

k3lvc

Out of interest do the deliveries arrive as a single drop ?

I'd expect for slower moving/higher value items that these will be spread around distribution centres so to provide the best service to you they're shipping direct rather than consolidating and delaying the shipment

LyntonB

Thanks both. The shipments are say four or five separate. The prime reason for needed a single VAT invoice is so that under UK company tax rules if you are registered on the right scheme, means that one can reclaim VAT if an order for office equipment is >£2k.

isplumm

LyntonB wrote: »

Thanks both. The shipments are say four or five separate. The prime reason for needed a single VAT invoice is so that under UK company tax rules if you are registered on the right scheme, means that one can reclaim VAT if an order for office equipment is >£2k.

I assume you are on the flat rate scheme? I thought that the item had to be a single item over the £2k limit - not many items on one invoice?

See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-733-flat-rate-scheme-for-small-businesses/vat-notice-733-flat-rate-scheme-for-small-businesses#reclaim-of-vat-on-capital-expenditure-goods

By the way, most accountants are suggesting that being on the FRS is not worth any more.

Mark

LyntonB

isplumm wrote: »

I assume you are on the flat rate scheme? I thought that the item had to be a single item over the £2k limit - not many items on one invoice?

Cheers Mark, yeah a PC build order is seen as a single item even though consists of many components. I'll review the FRS point with him, thanks for the link - useful

Pennywise

LyntonB wrote: »

Thanks both. The shipments are say four or five separate. The prime reason for needed a single VAT invoice is so that under UK company tax rules if you are registered on the right scheme, means that one can reclaim VAT if an order for office equipment is >£2k.

Just print out the order page from the Amazon website and staple the separate invoices to it. HMRC will accept multiple invoices as long as you can prove it's a single order.

Several different components is absolutely fine if it's part of a "system", i.e. you can add software or a printer to a PC order to get it over £2,000 in total. As said above, you can buy loads of components (totalling over £2k) which together build into a PC.

It's never been a rule that you need a single invoice over £2k but it does need to clearly be a "single" purchase of various components.