Should i Register For VAT ?
Should i Register For VAT ?
Author
Discussion

SystemParanoia

Original Poster:

14,343 posts

229 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
I only deal B2B, and the majority of my client base is VAT registered. ( thats a yes vote )

But in the outgoing department, all i have is the running of my van, premises, and staff wages. thats it!


would it be worth my effort registering now instead of waiting 6mths when i will HAVE to?

ginettag27

7,152 posts

300 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
If you are going to have to, then the answer is yes, otherwise there could be an intervening period where you will be liable for the VAT
and unable to claim it back.. Why wait?

As long as your turnover is going to be over the threshold (within a 12 month rolling period) it makes no sense not to. I would also suggest looking at flat VAT, as this can simplify things (for you, but possibly not for your accountant - although watch out as the forms were and probably still are incorrect for flat VAT).

Your accountant should be recommending that you register for VAT IMHO.

SystemParanoia

Original Poster:

14,343 posts

229 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
dont have an accountant yet.

waiting for the cash flow from this contract i have to start.. flowing lol

Plotloss

67,280 posts

301 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
First things first, get an accountant, ASAP.

SystemParanoia

Original Poster:

14,343 posts

229 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
alright... ill go get some reccomendations on who to use smile

thanks for you help guys

Goughie

616 posts

220 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
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I started my own business last year. First thing to do is get an accountant and run through your business plan. The best money I ever spent. Not only have they cut my like for like tax almost in half (comapred to when I was an employee), they've also saved me nearly a grand from a 6 year old tax demand I got this year.

A good accountant is vital imho to getting the most out of your business. Mine costs less than a grand a year and they've already saved me more than £6K in tax compared to last year. That's value for money!

CDP

8,062 posts

285 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
quotequote all
Plotloss said:
First things first, get an accountant, ASAP.
It's not just the savings part. The forms and accounts are highly complex - especially if you have employees. I wouldn't even think of doing my own payroll calculations.

The good thing about having an accountant look after this stuff is they will take a fraction of the time you would and get the result right.

Anatol

1,392 posts

265 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
quotequote all
CDP said:
It's not just the savings part. The forms and accounts are highly complex - especially if you have employees. I wouldn't even think of doing my own payroll calculations.

The good thing about having an accountant look after this stuff is they will take a fraction of the time you would and get the result right.
I have to say I disagree. HMRC send you a CDROM that does the calculations for you, we pay our technicians on a base salary+share of profits basis, and sorting their payroll takes next to no time. Even on the hard calculation of comparing the losses in turnover/profit from my time doing admin rather than primary work vs how much it would cost extra to have the accountant do it, we save money by running payroll in-house.

It worked out roughly equal on the same calculations for book-keeping and running the VAT calculations - but we still do that ourselves because it means easy access to the management information we want in the format we want it.

The accountant is a vital resource when it comes to reference questions and tax return time, but personally I regard having a good handle on the business's finances as an important part of proper management.

YMMV of course,

Tol

Simpo Two

93,026 posts

296 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
quotequote all
Although, Anatol, you're a multi-talented fellow and not everyone is that bright, or wants to be that deeply involved in a desperately tedious subject.

I was just wondering if there's an 'online accountant' where you just stick the numbers in boxes and it tells you what to pay and when.

SystemParanoia said:
But in the outgoing department, all i have is the running of my van, premises, and staff wages. thats it!
But you're still paying VAT on the first two and if you were VAT registered you could claim it back (and fuel, if you use a lot). Don't you have buy in any materials - what are you carrying in the van?

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 26th July 23:45

SystemParanoia

Original Poster:

14,343 posts

229 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
what are you carrying in the van?
Leaflets.

99% of the time the client already has them printed, I just pick em up and get them distributed.