How to view your VAT certificate online in 4 easy steps?
Are you panicking because you have lost your VAT certificate? Is it that you haven’t received your VAT certificate from the HMRC yet?
Well, I also faced the same problem. You should know that you can also view your VAT certificate online, which can help you until you actually receive it from HMRC.
How can you view your VAT Certificate online?
Firstly, login into your government gateway portal. To login you simply need your username and password, which you created while setting up the portal:
Then, scroll to the bottom, and click the Manage Your VAT Account option:
Once you open that link, you will see several options under Manage your VAT heading. There, you will see the View your VAT certificate option.
Simply click it, and you will be able to see your vat certificate, similar to this one:
You can also print this certificate by yourself, with the Print button at the bottom.
Why is my certificate not available at my government gateway portal dashboard?
Even if you have completed the VAT registration process, there is a possibility that you can’t see your VAT certificate and VAT number online. One reason might be that you just did the registration and expect to get the certificate, but this is not the case. It usually takes 30 days or more before you get your VAT number.
The second reason might be that you did not complete VAT registration online through the government gateway portal, which is essential to view the certificate online. If you have already done postal registration, then you will have to wait till your copy of the VAT certificate comes from HMRC by post, and then you can sign up for the government gateway portal online to always have your VAT certificate copy online in case it gets lost.
Just to clarify, if you have done the registration online, it is possible that you can get your VAT certificate a day or two earlier than HMRC posts you the VAT Certificate.
Are you still considering whether to register your business with HMRC? Read this Article for related information.
Can I charge VAT before actually getting my VAT Number?
Getting your VAT Certificate and the effective date of VAT registration are two different things. Charging VAT or displaying VAT before the effective date of registration on an invoice is completely illegal and against HMRC rules. However, assume you completed the registration process and your effective date of registration starts on the 1st of July, but you haven’t received your certificate till september.
At this point, you have 2 different options depending on your situation. Let’s assume you are selling to other businesses, your invoice is 1000£ + VAT, but you still haven’t received your VAT number, so you cannot charge VAT but only 1000£. However, once your VAT number comes, then you can raise a “VAT only” Invoice of 200£ to the same customer or wait till your VAT Number arrives and raise one simple invoice in one go.
If you are selling to consumers only, then you can raise your prices by 20% (current VAT percentage) on the effective registration date, and state on your invoice “VAT Pending”, and once you get your VAT Number, you can reissue a VAT invoice for your customers. However, you will have to carefully take into account all of the invoices, as there is a high chance of human error in this process.
Conclusion
I tried my best to explain how the VAT Certificate works and the possible scenarios. If you spot any mistakes, you guys can send me feedback through the contact page.