As VAT reaches a historic milestone of fifty years in UK regulation, the top of VAT at an organisation supporting greater than 4,500 companies within the East Midlands is looking for drastic reform of Britain’s most contentious tax.

From April 2022 to February 2023, HMRC stories that it collected a staggering £150.5 billion from VAT alone – however with 428,615 UK companies closing in 2022 amid unprecedented working prices and power costs, there are requires clearer regulation to keep away from surprising fees.

Head of VAT at Duncan & Toplis, Christine Newitt, says: “Valued Added Tax is a prolific income for the federal government, behind solely Nationwide Insurance coverage and Earnings Tax – nevertheless it’s simply probably the most contested and contentious tax for UK enterprise homeowners.

“Within the 5 many years since VAT got here into pressure on April 1, 1973, it has been a relentless minefield for companies struggling to navigate a system with extra exceptions than it has guidelines – typically leading to surprising interpretations by HMRC even for these of us within the career who perceive the tax.”

Christine represents companies on the VAT and duties group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and speaks to native enterprise homeowners throughout the East Midlands each day, lots of that are looking for pressing recommendation on avoidable VAT pitfalls.

“I can confidently say that companies want fewer deliberately prohibitive guidelines and exclusions and clearer steering,” provides Christine.

“VAT was launched as a directive from the European Union, however after Brexit, we’re not certain to observe these guidelines. We have now an opportunity to reimagine VAT in a method that would profit enterprise homeowners throughout the nation – VAT’s golden anniversary is a golden alternative for it to be reformed.”

Regardless of being in place for half a century, the administration of the VAT system has by no means stored tempo with advances in expertise and the worldwide market place. Christine thinks that companies may gain advantage from VAT being reformed to make it extra clear for enterprise homeowners, with a a lot diminished burden of administration.

“Some international locations like Brazil, for instance, have adopted a break up cost system, the place VAT is break up out on the level of sale and paid electronically on to the tax authorities.”

“This could be a daring transfer however would definitely shift the onus from over-burdened enterprise homeowners, ensuring that HMRC all the time receives the tax it’s owed and giving companies the knowledge of figuring out that, from a VAT perspective a minimum of, they received’t face any sudden surprises.” provides Christine

The feedback come simply days after companies reacted to an underwhelming Spring Price range, which Head of tax at Duncan & Toplis Nicholas Smith branded “a convincing disappointment for SMEs throughout the East Midlands and the UK.”

Nicholas Smith stated: “SMEs make up 99.9% of the UK financial system, in response to the federal government’s personal figures. So the place is the assist for them as the price of residing disaster closes doorways throughout the nation?”

HMRC is presently specializing in broadening its Making Tax Digital initiative throughout all taxes, which goals to exchange the outdated paper methods with a completely digitised providing. Development in expertise and methods to deal with tax assortment is lengthy overdue.  It’s hoped that this can allow companies to submit updates for all taxes each quarter, relatively than yearly, and make information extra updated – however Christine maintains that, for some companies, it “doesn’t go far sufficient in giving companies readability and certainty of their tax affairs”.