Services

General

Booker Associates can provide clients with a wide range of VAT services:

VAT registration service.
VAT return completion service.
For partially exempt clients cost minimisation strategies e.g. maximising the zero-rated and reduced rated supplies an establishment receives.
The VAT treatment of the supplies a client makes or intends to make.
For partially exempt clients, development of new non-business/business and partial exemption methods.
For partially exempt clients, develop new Capital Goods Scheme adjustment calculations.
Advice and assistance on the VAT treatment of expenditure plans, new ventures, new acquisitions.
Negotiating with H M Revenue & Customs over, for example, assessments and the VAT liability of supplies. This includes taking the matter to VAT tribunal where Booker Associates can represent the client if using a barrister would prove to be expensive.
VAT training of staff. We have developed a number of training modules that can be used to provide VAT training for staff. The training modules can be tailored to your needs.

Specific Sub-Sector Groups

A) Universities and FE college service offering

Universities and FE colleges make a mixture of exempt, taxable and outside the scope supplies and they are unable to recover the vast majority of the VAT they incur. For universities and FE colleges the following services are available:

(a) Cost minimisation strategies e.g. maximising the zero-rated and reduced rated supplies an establishment receives.

(b) VAT liability test of the VAT treatment of the supplies they make.

(d) Develop new Capital Goods Scheme adjustment calculations.

Any service package that Booker Associates provides is accompanied by regular timetabled visits, but you may also call us in to advise on major VAT issues that may affect you. We also provide a VAT help line and advice service for ad hoc queries. Most queries take less than an hour to resolve whether by e-mail and/or telephone. For these types of queries the service in answering them is free of charge. Where it is clear that an issue is going to take longer to resolve, we will at an early stage indicate that this is the case and provide a quote for the likely cost.

Booker Associates can also undertake one-off assignments. Typically the assignments our clients have used us for are as follows:

(i) Review and advice on the VAT treatment of expenditure plans, new ventures, new acquisitions.

(ii) Negotiating with H M Revenue & Customs over, for example, assessments and the VAT liability of supplies.

(iii) Developing non-business/business and partial exemption formula and negotiating with H M Revenue and Customs to obtain agreement to its acceptability.

(iv) Disassembling ‘old’ VAT planning in a VAT efficient manner.

(v) VAT training of staff. We have developed a number of training modules that can be used to provide VAT training for staff. The training modules can be tailored to your needs.

Booker Associates also offers a free health check to existing clients which covers the following:

1) VAT return and partial exemption method

Undertake a review of the VAT return compilation including the University’s non-business and partial exemption methods. The areas to be covered are as follows:

(a) The compilation of a return would be examined following the compilation audit trail to verify all the relevant entries are being made.

(b) The review would look at whether the methods were being applied correctly.

The objective of this part of the exercise as discussed is to confirm that the VAT return is being correctly prepared; that the existing method is being applied according the method agreed with HMRC; and to ascertain whether there is an alternative method that will substantially improve the University’s input tax recovery rate. On completion of the review BA will produce a brief report setting out its findings and recommendations.

2) Testing of input tax recording arrangements.

Undertake a review of the University’s input tax capturing arrangements in particular the following areas:

(a) Ensure that correct amount of VAT is being recorded.

(b) Testing of the accounting arrangements where supplier sources goods from another EU state.

(d) Review of VAT accounting arrangements for intra EU supplies are made to the University.

(e) Review of VAT accounting arrangement for imports of services from outside the EU.

The objective of this part of the exercise as discussed is to confirm that the University’s recording arrangements work satisfactorily and where necessary assist relevant staff to develop testing mechanisms/reports to check that ascertain that input tax capture arrangements are working in particular with regards to 2(b) to (e). On completion of the review BA will produce a brief report setting out its findings and recommendations.

3) Test of VAT accounting arrangements to identify zero-rating and reduce rate reliefs.

Undertake a review of the VAT treatment building works undertaken on University buildings to ascertain whether any opportunities to zero-rate the works have been taken. Undertake a review of the VAT treatment of supplies of gas and electricity to the University. Both exercises will primarily involve estates department staff. Undertake a review of goods acquired for medical research to ascertain whether any opportunities to zero-rate the works have been taken. On completion of the reviews BA will produce a brief report setting out its findings and recommendations.

BA will compile a brief report on its findings for each section with recommendations concerning any remedial action required. It may be the case that the recommendation is for in an in-depth exercise. In this situation BA will submit a proposal to undertake the task including the fee arrangements.

B) Welfare charities

Welfare charities make a mixture of exempt, taxable and outside the scope supplies and they are unable to recover the vast majority of the VAT they incur. For welfare charities the following products are available:

(a) Cost minimisation strategies e.g. maximising the zero-rated and reduced rated supplies a welfare charity receives.

(b) VAT liability test of the VAT treatment of the supplies they make.

Booker Associates can also undertake one-off assignments. Typically the assignments our clients have used us for are as follows:

(i) Review and advice on the VAT treatment of expenditure plans, new ventures, new acquisitions.

(ii) Negotiating with H M Revenue & Customs over, for example, assessments and the VAT liability of supplies.

(iii) Developing non-business/business and partial exemption formula and negotiating with H M Revenue and Customs to obtain agreement to its acceptability.

(iv) Disassembling ‘old’ VAT planning in a VAT efficient manner.

(v) VAT training of staff. We have developed a number of training modules that can be used to provide VAT training for staff. The training modules can be tailored to your needs.

Listed below are some of the projects that Booker Associates have undertaken and the approximate savings generated:

(a) Cost minimisations: Initial saving On going Comment

Birmingham YMCA £29,000 £9,000 Gas and electricity

Nottingham YMCA £29,000 £9,000 Gas and electricity

Nottingham YMCA £105,000 N/A Building construction

Burton YMCA £50,000 N/A Building construction

(b) VAT liability

Birmingham YMCA £90,000 £30,000 Improve input tax recovery

Birmingham YMCA £86,000 N/A Retrospective output tax claim.

Nottingham YMCA £90,000 £30,000 Improve input tax recovery

Burton YMCA (1) £40,000 £13,000 Improve input tax recovery

Burton YMCA (2) £40,000 £13,000 Improve input tax recovery

Redditch YMCA £30,000 £10,000 Improve input tax recovery

Milton Keynes YMCA £35,000 £10,000 Improve input tax recovery

West Bromwich YMCA £40,000 £13,000 Improve input tax recovery

Wolverhampton YMCA £167,000 £40,000 Improve input tax recovery

Coventry YMCA £72,000 £18,000 Improve input tax recovery

Coventry Cyrenians £117,000 £25,000 Improve input tax recovery

C) VAT advice service for accountants, solicitors, architects and surveyors

Booker Associates provides advice on a range of VAT issues and matters for other professional firms. The fee arrangements vary but usually Booker Associates charges the client on a time spent basis but if an alternative fee basis is preferred then Booker Associates is flexible on this matter.

Typically Booker Associates has and can provide advice and assistance on:

The VAT treatment of the supplies a client makes or intends to make.
The VAT treatment of expenditure plans, new ventures, new acquisitions.
The VAT treatment of building developments.