Guides

VAT guide · Updated for 2026 What a valid VAT invoice must include in 2026 (with a free template) A valid VAT invoice is the document that lets your customer reclaim the VAT you charged, so it has to carry a set list of details. Only a VAT registered business can issue one, and it…

Updated for 2026 UK VAT Number Checker: Verify a VAT Registration Number VAT NUMBER GB 000 0000 00 VALID FORMAT A UK VAT registration number has a built in structure, so a quick check can tell you at once whether a number is even possible before you rely on it. The tool below cleans a…

Updated for 2026 VAT for Sole Traders and Freelancers: When to Register and What to Pay £90,000 threshold Rolling 12 month taxable turnover Being a sole trader or freelancer does not exempt you from VAT. The rules are the same as for any business, and they turn almost entirely on your turnover rather than the…

Updated for 2026 Zero Percent VAT on Solar Panels and Heat Pumps, Before It Ends 0% VAT NOW UNTIL 31 MARCH 2027 For a limited window, the government charges no VAT at all when a qualifying installer fits solar panels, a heat pump or home battery storage in your home. That zero rate is written…

Updated for 2026 The VAT Reverse Charge for Construction VAT REVERSE CHARGEVATHMRC The domestic reverse charge for construction is a VAT rule that changes who hands the VAT to HMRC. Normally a subcontractor adds VAT to its invoice, collects it from the customer, and pays it over. Under the reverse charge the subcontractor charges no…

Updated for 2026 Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA): How UK Importers Account for Import VAT in 2026 GOODS 0 PAID AT BORDER VAT RETURN 1 4 £ NET NIL Postponed VAT accounting lets a VAT registered business bring goods into the country and account for the import VAT on its next VAT return, instead of handing…

Updated for 2026 Import VAT and Customs Duty Calculator: The Landed Cost of Goods From Abroad GOODS Goods value Customs Duty Import VAT £ LANDED COST When you buy goods from outside the UK, the price on the website is rarely the price you end up paying. On top of the goods and the shipping,…

Updated for 2026 The VAT Margin Scheme for Second Hand Goods: A 2026 Guide for Resellers You paid £6,000 You sold £7,200 Your margin £1,200 VAT is one sixth £200 If you buy and sell second hand goods, antiques, art or used cars, the VAT margin scheme can cut your VAT bill sharply. Instead of…

Updated for 2026 Making Tax Digital in 2026: VAT & Income Tax HMRC Making Tax Digital, often shortened to MTD, is HMRC’s plan to move tax record keeping and reporting fully online. Instead of adding up figures once a year on paper, you keep your records in software and send updates to HMRC through it….

How many businesses are there in the UK? The latest official figures show 5.7 million private sector businesses at the start of 2025, 99.9% of them small and medium sized, employing 28.1 million people, with about 2.6 million registered for VAT or PAYE.