How to get a VAT breakdown on the new mobile bill format

[I_AM_THE_VATMAN]

Now that the bill format has been made "simpler" there is no breakdown of the VAT, which is essential for those of us submitting our personal mobile bills as expenses to our employers.

If a company is charging VAT, there must be a way of seeing what VAT is being charged - any shop charging VAT is obliged to give a VAT breakdown if requested. The same should apply here.

Is there a method I am missing?

[ptsaunders99]

Have you seen the information that is required to switch to a business account: personal name, address, date of birth, mobile, e-mail. business certificate of inc., business bank acount details (name, account & sort), copy of bank statement, and a load of other stuff too boring to mention.  The kicker is that the ONLY WAY (according to who I spoke to at EE) is to send an unsecure e-mail with all the above information to an general mailbox located in India.  I'm not prepared to send that information in an e-mail so in order to get VAT information I have to move my 7 phones to another provider.  There is no option to post the information in (slightly more secure) or via a secure web-site.  It's crazy and stupid from a customer service point of view.  There is no reason to keep VAT information secret.  The only think I can suggest is that EE wants to move all those of us that use personal accounts for business use to a business account so that can charge us more fees.

[Halevie]

This is obviously and issue for many customers given all the threads about VAT. VAT should be separated on bills and a VAT number provided. EE says "95% of customers were confused by VAT so it was removed in January 2021" but every bill for everything you buy in the UK - even a Big Mac - has VAT separated out. 95% of people in the UK can't be THAT stupid. But BT can, the owner of EE.

I'm moving my business elsewhere.

[JDP66]

This is a terrible solution. I have been with Orange and now EE since the first brick sized phone was launched, but I will have to move to another provider if this is the only way to get a VAT receipt. I'm very disappointed! Stupid idea to remove this from the regular bill.

[JDP66]

Is there A Thumbs Down button? 👎

[mikeliuk]

Adding the below to this thread in case it helps anyone hitting this with a search.

https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/vat/0b893b23-9831-ec11-b76a-00155d9761c1

Posted by HMRC Admin 9

Hi,



As you state correctly there is a legal requirement to issue a VAT invoice by a VAT registered supplier to a VAT registered customer. The guidance states :



'A VAT invoice is a document containing certain information about what you’re supplying. Paragraph 16.3 sets out the information you need to show. Your customers need VAT invoices as evidence for reclaiming, as input tax, the VAT you have charged them.'



You do not, therefore, have to issue VAT invoices for zero-rated supplies.



You do not need to issue VAT invoices for supplies to customers who are not VAT registered. In practice, this will probably mean issuing a VAT invoice to any customers who ask for one, as you will usually have no way of telling whether they’re VAT registered or not. You do not have to check that a customer is VAT registered before issuing a VAT invoice.



If the suppliers are refusing to meet their invoicing obligations then I would recommend you reminding them again what their obligations are. These obligations are described here:



VAT invoices



However this would be a third party issue between you and the supplier and HMRC would not get involved in this type of situation. Again I would speak to the supplier and advise them that you have spoken to HMRC who are in agreement about their invoicing obligation. Beyond this however, we would have to say that it is an issue between you and the supplier and you may seek a legal route if that is required.