Quote for work unsure of vat situation

newfoundglory

I had a quite for work and immediately assumed it included VAT from looking. However builder started today and suggested vat was to be added to invoice. It was shown as:
Labour: £350
Materials: £80
Total cost of works+VAT: £430
In the terms listed, it states the fees are exclusive of VAT, however.
Any thoughts on this?

davidmcn

I think you should ask them to clarify. I wouldn't normally expect VAT to be included.

bris

+Vat means they still have to add the VAT,
Including VAT is the total price.

Aylesbury_Duck

newfoundglory said:

I had a quite for work and immediately assumed it included VAT from looking. However builder started today and suggested vat was to be added to invoice. It was shown as:
Labour: £350
Materials: £80
Total cost of works+VAT: £430
In the terms listed, it states the fees are exclusive of VAT, however.
Any thoughts on this?

Are the figures you've given the quote or the invoice? I assume it's the quote.  As you've written it (if that's how the quote states it), the VAT is already included in the £430, so why would it be added again?

lammy82

"+VAT" means "excluding VAT", IE "you have to add on VAT".
It would be better if written as 
Total cost of works £430+VAT
or maybe 
Total cost of works (+VAT): £430
You can see from the breakdown that the VAT has not been added.
If you want to argue that it's ambiguous, well, it is, but you should have clarified that before allowing the work to proceed.

gettingtheresometime

Are they vat registered ?

MobileSaver

gettingtheresometime said:

Are they vat registered ?

Charging VAT when you are not VAT registered is a criminal offence so you would hope so!

It's easy to check the builder's VAT number online if the OP is concerned.

pinkshoes

newfoundglory said:

I had a quite for work and immediately assumed it included VAT from looking. However builder started today and suggested vat was to be added to invoice. It was shown as:
Labour: £350
Materials: £80
Total cost of works+VAT: £430
In the terms listed, it states the fees are exclusive of VAT, however.
Any thoughts on this?

If it says “Total cost of works + VAT : £430” then the price would be £430 as the sentence states that VAT is already added.

If it said “total cost of works : £430 + VAT” then VAT would still need to be added.

Sandtree

I agree with Pinkshoes' interpretation and preferred way of saying if VAT is to be added after (though putting it in brackets would also be ok) however because it isnt clear you will certainly want to clarify before committing rather than hoping to get away with it after and end up in a dispute.

davidmcn

pinkshoes said:

newfoundglory said:

I had a quite for work and immediately assumed it included VAT from looking. However builder started today and suggested vat was to be added to invoice. It was shown as:
Labour: £350
Materials: £80
Total cost of works+VAT: £430
In the terms listed, it states the fees are exclusive of VAT, however.
Any thoughts on this?

If it says “Total cost of works + VAT : £430” then the price would be £430 as the sentence states that VAT is already added.
If it said “total cost of works : £430 + VAT” then VAT would still need to be added.

While that's not an unreasonable interpretation, I wouldn't assume builders to be particular adept at distinguishing between those when typing out a quote (and it would be uncommon to include VAT other than at the end) so safer to ask really.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Prices given or displayed to consumers should include VAT.

If you wish to query it I would wait until the job has been finished to a good standard.