VAT to get back as a consumer

NL

We bought a timber mobile home from a company based in EU but also trading in the UK as an Ltd (have a UK address). I noticed that a VAT was charged whilst our size mobile home should have been exempt from a VAT. I asked the company about it and they came back saying they only charge 5% (this not what our receipt says!) but they would find out. Not heard anything back since September and we were desperate for the mobile home to be delivered so just paid what they asked. Now looking at our online account - looks like they have reduced the so called tax to about 5% but increased the price of the product, so that we paid the same amount as before when 20% VAT was clearly showing. If this isn't fishy enough, they also renamed the mobile home on their website a 'granny annexe' presumably to avoid the tax questions. I am concerned about having paid a massive amount in tax which we didn't have to pay. What would be some avenues to try and get it refunded? The company in question hasn't got the best of reputation and have been very poor with information/communication so I have no confidence in addressing it with them but can certainly try if I know what might back me up/what to mention as a consequence if they don't refund.

jonesMUFCforever

If I have read your post correctly you have paid the original price whatever the rate of VAT was quoted?
If so there is nothing to claim back.
As a consumer you cannot claim VAT back only registered businesses can do that.

NL

Thank you for getting back so quickly! I have paid the price quoted but I believe it should be 20% lower as the mobile home of our size is exempt from VAT. I understand it's illegal for companies to pass it on to consumer if the product is VAT exempt and was looking for pointers on how to start addressing this with the company.

CKhalvashi

jonesMUFCforever said:

If I have read your post correctly you have paid the original price whatever the rate of VAT was quoted?
If so there is nothing to claim back.
As a consumer you cannot claim VAT back only registered businesses can do that.

In the case of a home build, this isn't necessarily the case.

This comes directly from HMRC, so it's worth reading the guide and taking any questions that you still have with them directly for clarification. https://www.gov.uk/vat-building-new-home

Penguin_

Is the mobile home residential spec? I.e. insulated so you can live in it for 12 months a year? 

On non-residential spec mobile homes, there are 2 VAT costings - 5% & 20%. 5% covers 'nailed down items' such as the chassis, doors etc & the 20% covers basically the items that would fall it the unit was tipped upside down. 

However a residential spec unit only attracts the 5% VAT & the contents usually subject to 20% are charged at 0%.

FaceHead

It boils down to the following question: did you agree with the company that they would provide you the goods for a price, or for a price plus VAT?

It's likely to be the former, as otherwise you'd have had something to say when they asked for payment and 20% had suddenly been added. In that case, you've paid the agreed price and that's the end of it. 

If you'd agreed on a price plus VAT, and then have overpaid (if VAT in this case is indeed not 20%) then you could look into reclaiming the overpayment, but that would beg the question of why you made the overpayment in the first place.