Whether or not or not you should pay Worth Added Tax (VAT) as a sole dealer relies upon completely on how a lot cash your online business is popping over. Mainly, if on the finish of any month your annual turnover exceeded £90,000 within the earlier 12 months, you should register for VAT.
You may as well voluntarily register for VAT even when your turnover is below the edge. Some sole merchants select to do that in order that they’ll declare again the VAT on items and companies bought for his or her enterprise or to keep away from monetary penalties from by accident going over the edge.
Beneath, we clarify methods to register for VAT as a sole dealer, how a lot you should pay, VAT charges, charging VAT to clients, and MTD for VAT.
Registering for VAT as a sole dealer
You possibly can register for VAT on-line with HMRC. As soon as authorized, it is best to obtain a singular VAT quantity related solely to your online business inside 30 days.
It is going to be supplied on a VAT registration certificates, which will even have particulars of the dates you should submit your first VAT Return by, and your efficient date of registration (the date whenever you began to pay VAT).
Your VAT registration can be below no matter identify you select to commerce as, whether or not that’s your personal identify or the identify of your online business.
VAT charges as a sole dealer
There are three totally different ranges of VAT:
- Normal charge – at the moment 20 per cent, this is applicable to the vast majority of items and companies
- Lowered charge – at the moment 5 per cent, this is applicable to a really choose set of products and companies, corresponding to kids’s automotive seats and residential vitality
- Zero charge – 0 per cent, which applies to most meals and kids’s garments
You will discover the total listing of VAT rankings and exemptions right here: VAT charges on totally different items and companies.
(NB – There are additionally VAT exempt gadgets, for which you can’t declare again enter VAT on bills used to provide the zero rated good. You will discover a complete clarification of this right here: Shorts UK)
Charging VAT on items and companies offered to clients
You’ll be required to cost the VAT component in your gross sales invoices. For instance, in case your bill worth is £1,000, you’ll add £200 (20 per cent) to the full worth of the services or products and the shopper can pay you £1,200.
Each quarter you’ll full a VAT return exhibiting how a lot you’ve got collected in VAT from clients (Output VAT) and the way a lot VAT you’ve got paid to your suppliers (Enter VAT).
If the Output VAT exceeds the Enter VAT, you’ll pay the distinction to HMRC. Nevertheless, if the Enter VAT exceeds the Output VAT, you’re in a position to declare again the distinction quantity from HMRC.
MTD for VAT
All VAT-registered companies, no matter turnover, ought to now be signed up for Making Tax Digital for VAT. Each enterprise can be signed up routinely until they apply for a VAT exemption. Making Tax Digital is a part of the federal government’s initiative to make the UK tax system totally digital.
With the intention to comply, you’ll have to make use of HMRC-approved software program to keep up digital VAT information and submit your quarterly VAT returns.
Three VAT Public Notices which provide related recommendation are:
- Discover 700 – VAT Basic Information
- Discover 700/1 – Ought to I be registered for VAT?
- Discover 700/22 – Making Tax Digital for VAT
- These might be situated right here
The VAT recommendation line will assist with queries on 0300 200 3700.
The related type is an Software for Registration – VAT 1 and you may obtain all of it right here.
You probably have any doubts it is best to discuss to your accountant who will clarify the necessities in larger element, and will help with particular queries and even full the VAT return in your behalf.
How one can simply observe your income?
Accounting software program will help you adjust to Making Tax Digital for VAT – and usually make it simpler to handle your online business cashflow and income.
There’s a spread of suppliers to select from. We’ve rounded up three of the perfect under.
Evaluate suppliers now to seek out the right possibility for your online business.

Sage’s answer permits you and your workforce to handle bills 24/7 from its intuitive cell app. Management who has entry to submit, view, and approve bills and handle every little thing from the easy-to-use dashboard.
Value: 30-day free trial, then from £1.10 per worker monthly

Monitor bills on-the-go with the Xero app, together with computerized receipt seize and mileage monitoring with a built-in GPS. The whole lot is fed into your ledger and money move forecast so you possibly can create experiences and floor insights.
Value: From £1.60 monthly (with 90% low cost for six months, then £16)

Join your financial institution accounts to Quickbooks to routinely match transaction knowledge to your invoice and receipt. The app may also create tax classes and observe your mileage.
Value: From £1 monthly + VAT

Moss lets you difficulty company playing cards that make bills submissions and reimbursements, in addition to approvals and payouts a breeze. All expense knowledge is routinely categorised and pre-coded.
Value: On request

Stand up to 50 expense playing cards with a Tide enterprise present account and set month-to-month and particular person spending limits by way of the Tide app. The whole lot is routinely synced along with your accounting software program.
Value: From £5 per card (free expense playing cards out there on paid plans)

Join your card or checking account to Freshbooks to start out capturing, categorising and monitoring all of your bills. The software program is MTD compliant and may deal with multi-currency bills.
Value: From £7.50 for first three months

With Zoho’s auto scan characteristic, you possibly can observe and categorise receipts after which hyperlink them to the related transaction. Zoho additionally lets you create profiles for any common bills.
Value: Free for solopreneurs and microbusinesses, then from £10
Additional studying
The very best accounting software program for small companies – It’s by no means been simpler or extra inexpensive to handle your tax and accounting utilizing small enterprise accounting software program – discover the perfect accounting package deal in your wants
How one can handle your accounts as a small enterprise – The whole lot you should learn about making ready your financials within the early levels of enterprise
Tax benefits of a restricted firm versus sole dealer – Haydn Rogan explains the tax benefits and drawbacks of standing as a restricted firm and as a sole dealer
9 accounting software program platforms for Making Tax Digital – Right here, Mariah Tompkins scrutinises accounting software program choices that small companies can use for his or her digital tax returns