topic Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered in Contracts & Billing

Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 21:24:15 GMT

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 21:27:27 GMT

I should add that I am not on a business account, partly because my usage is not 100% business. I even mentioned needing the broadband for business purposes when it was set up. Seems to directly contravene HMRC guidance.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rach_H — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:18:43 GMT

Hi @Rwoodward

Welcome to the Community!

We do offer VAT receipts for business customers, however, if you are not a business customer this is not a service we offer. If you would like to move to a business account then you can give our team a call, and they can look into your options.

Rach

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

cjlinstrum — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 16:25:31 GMT

Hi, It is a requirement of HMRC that all businesses should offer a VAT receipt to any customer requesting it. The customer doesn't have to be registered as a business.

So if a customer requests a VAT receipt it should be given. We shouldn't have to ask for it.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

cjlinstrum — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 16:26:37 GMT

You're absolutely right - HMRC say that a VAT receipt should be issued if a customer requests it. I think maybe EE are trying to get people to sign up to business accounts - could it be that they're more expensive???

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Chris_B — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 19:41:13 GMT

@cjlinstrum No there not actually.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 20:28:51 GMT

This isn't really solved, much as EE I am sure would like to claim it is....

HMRC Guidance is pretty clear;

"Only VAT-registered businesses can issue VAT invoices and if you’re VAT-registered, you must issue a VAT invoice whenever you supply standard rate or reduced rate goods or services to another VAT-registered person. Normally you must issue a VAT invoice within 30 days of the date you make the supply."

Unless I am much mistaken, EE consumer is VAT registered, and no doubt supplies to lots of VAT registered individuals.

Yet EE seem to want to make that process of obtaining Vat invoices on consumer tariffs as difficult as possible, and I know full well its not just me in this position. After hours wasted on the phone trying to resolve this eventually I was given the over the phone only 'webform' option. This was filled in for me 3 times over various calls, yet several months later...still no VAT invoices. I've escalated the complaint... Perhaps I'll just refer it to HMRC.

I've also had it in writing now that they will not provide a vat invoice for broadband, yet there is the webform (that is only available on the phone) for mobile.

I enquired about switching to business, yet they would not offer me a like for like deal, and instead tried to push past a 20% price increase due to VAT (which when challenged they could not explain) and try and muddy the waters with various other services I don't want. It seems there isn't a like for like option available if you want quick and easy access to a VAT invoice. How that gets past HMRC I don't know, but I might try and find out.

Regardless of my situation its pretty poor customer service (to put it mildly). Say a customer works from home using broadband but can expense some of the associated costs for their job, they cant still cant access their VAT invoices for their employer.

I shall be going elsewhere once my contracts come to an end.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Damonc — Wed, 14 May 2025 14:19:29 GMT

I think you should be reporting to HMRC. I’m pretty sure that if there are more complaints HMRC will look to do something as they would issue a fine which helps with revenue. I say this as i am also going to be requesting VAT invoices

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

aubin — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:34:05 GMT

I was surprised to discover how elusive EE are about providing VAT receipts for PAYG, when we just had to find some to support a VAT refund claim. My solution is to cancel my PAYG contract, and move to another provider. I see Giff Gaff provide VAT receipts online from their portal, and what's more they seem to be cheaper.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Chris_B — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:22:10 GMT

@aubin PAYG isn’t a contract. It’s pre pay and no contract is involved as you are not committing to a minimum term which is a contract. A contract of services for a minimum term. and you can keep receipts for top up vouchers and you can use these.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:35:56 GMT

I am told by HMRC it’s a civil matter, they’re not interested.

I cannot understand why EE feel quite so content frustrating their customers in this way.

They confirmed to me by email they won’t send broadband vat invoices, how many of their customers use broadband partially for business.

The ‘web form’ to request mobile vat invoices by phone is a shambles and a right pain from a customer perspective.

It could all be made so easy,…

I’ll be moving my mobile and broadband when contracts are up, I’ve had enough, and I know I’m not the only one!

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

eelarss — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:38:04 GMT

i’ll be changing provider too, this is ridiculous, they won’t issue me any either. How can they get away with it with HMRC, my business wouldn’t!

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

garybs29 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:28:19 GMT

They're not "getting away" with anything, as per usual people think they know laws when they don't.

"Contrary to what you might expect, there’s only one situation where you’re required by law
to issue an invoice, that is where you and your customer are both VAT registered."

Do-you-always-have-to-issue-a-VAT-invoice.pdf

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:38:54 GMT

Which in my case, that criteria is met. The HMRC guidance it’s quite clear.

Yet I have email confirmation from EE that they will still not provide a vat invoice for broadband, and the process is incredibly long winded for EE mobile consumer tariffs. Not impossible to get a vat invoice for mobile, but very difficult and time consuming. It’s pretty awful customer service.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

eelarss — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:47:19 GMT

That doesn’t apply to my situation. Both my business and EE are VAT registered. HMRC requires a VAT invoice to be provided for taxable supplies between VAT-registered businesses, which is why I’m questioning why EE won’t issue one.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

garybs29 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:52:58 GMT

@eelarss wrote:
That doesn’t apply to my situation. Both my business and EE are VAT registered. HMRC requires a VAT invoice to be provided for taxable supplies between VAT-registered businesses, which is why I’m questioning why EE won’t issue one.

So if it's broadband for business be on a business tariff, different service level agreements etc too.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:47:01 GMT

No doubt moving to a business tariff resolves the problem, but for an increased cost plus then vat is added on top. I’ve already costed this up with mobile, not interested in doing it again for broadband. The reality is they’re already charging us vat on the consumer tariffs but not being open about it to try and push small business onto their more expensive business tariffs.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

garybs29 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:10:27 GMT

The prices are probably the same once the VAT is added onto a business account etc too.

I'm sorry but you're using a residential broadband for business & quibbling over a few quid there's the crux it's all about money saving when a proper business contract gives you proper protection against things too yet you don't want that over the sake of a few quid

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

Rwoodward — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:23:33 GMT

I can assure you that once vat was factored in to both mobile tariffs, the business tariff was over 20% more expensive. When pushed the business representative told me that it was because they now had to charge vat, but wouldn't accept they were doing that before on a consumer tariff.

I don’t see why a small business should pay more for extra services they don’t require, when the HMRC requirements on EE are quite clear. yet for years they’ve been making it as difficult as possible for many small business owners.

Re: Why will EE not provide VAT invoices to individuals who are vat registered

garybs29 — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:26:51 GMT

The HMRC requirements are perfectly clear, you'd need to be VAT registered not the business for them, end of