Boots & VAT. To add or add not!

[Gnarlyoak]

Quoting Steve Bullman: "seems to me, its probably easier from the retailers point of view to just list everything with the vat on "

 

Your right Steve, I totally get that undoubtably it is easier for suppliers to list all their products with VAT since VAT would be applicable to the vast majority of their products. But when items should be VAT exempt when its for personal professional use, it would be useful if suppliers could make this as clear as possible either on the homepage; product description or at checkout. Since some do and some don't, then the next best thing was to try and find out exactly how the VAT or exemptions should be applied when buying PPE for personal use.

 

Nigel's explanation, referencing the relevant HMRC literature, clarifies the situation enabling me to buy with added confidence. Hopefully this clarification will be as useful to others as it has been for me.

Edited September 11, 2010 by Gnarlyoak
Added Steve's quote for context.

[APC]

I have no idea about anything now. This thread has made my already mangled mind much more mashed.

[skyhuck]

I have no idea about anything now. This thread has made my already mangled mind much more mashed.

 

If you buy boots for yourself, no VAT.

 

If you buy boots for an employee, you pay VAT.

[Kev Stephenson]

If you buy boots for yourself, no VAT.

 

If you buy boots for an employee, you pay VAT.

 

So as the owner of a LTD company you need to pay the VAT as the company is buying boots for it's employee?

 

Not that it makes much difference as it is claimed back anyway

[Blandboy]

Sorry to rake up an old thread but as a student buying PPE where do I stand? Are the rules still the same today? Some suppliers advertise boots as zero rated and others add the VAT. As I don't have an employer to buy them for me, nor am I in a position to claim back the VAT aren't the suppliers that include VAT in the price missing out?

 

As an aside are boots the only zero rated item of PPE?

[Jonesie]

It's helmets and boots.

 

Our site gives you the option of adding it or not depending on your situation, and the guidelines from HMRC.

 

As a student they will be for personal industrial use, so you will get them without adding the VAT.

 

Hope this helps.

[Blandboy]

^^^ Yes thanks for that.

[Chopper Edoff]

on a tangent.....

 

what I hate is the way sellers always seem to do: goods +postage +VAT = total

it should be: goods + VAT + postage = total

with most postage VAT is not chargeable and yet it is always charged. That 20% tax on postage over many years equals many many fewer pints for me

[Jonesie]

on a tangent.....

 

what I hate is the way sellers always seem to do: goods +postage +VAT = total

it should be: goods + VAT + postage = total

with most postage VAT is not chargeable and yet it is always charged. That 20% tax on postage over many years equals many many fewer pints for me

 

VAT is chargeable on all the post we send out. Let me know where you think it's not and I'll certainly have a look at it.

[Mike Dempsey]

The Post Office are the only courier service not to charge VAt but if a company is charging a customer for a product via a website/mail order they have to charge vat regardless of whether or not is is the PO or some other courier doing the dellivery. Its quite complicated as usual, way far more than it should be in my opinion