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

[Rwoodward]

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!

[eelarss]

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!

[garybs29]

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

[Rwoodward]

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.

[eelarss]

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.

[garybs29]

---

@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.

[Rwoodward]

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. 

[garybs29]

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

[Rwoodward]

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.

[garybs29]

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