VATREC5010 - VAT invoice: Details which must be shown on a full VAT invoice

The requirements of a VAT invoice were amended by the Value Added Tax (Amendment)(No5) Regulations 2007, effective from 1 October 2007. This amendment made some changes to the details required on a VAT invoice, the details of which are provided below.

To facilitate business in adapting to the changes HMRC agreed to a 12 months transitional period. Regulatory penalties under s.69 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 should only be assessed in respect of that period in cases of abusive and repeated or fraudulent non-compliance. Any regulatory penalty will apply to the general failure and will not attach to each invoice issued.

A full VAT invoice is a document that complies with all the requirements of VAT Regulations 1995, regulation 14(1) (as amended by SI 2085/2007):

14. (1) Subject to paragraph (2) below and regulation 16, and save as the Commissioners may otherwise allow, a registered person providing a VAT invoice in accordance with regulation 13 shall state thereon the following particulars -

(a) a sequential number based on one or more series which uniquely identifies the document*,

(b) the time of the supply,

(c) the date of the issue of the document,

(d) the name, address and registration number of the supplier,

(e) the name and address of the person to whom the goods or services are supplied,

(f) [Omitted by SI 2003/3220, reg. 7(a).]**

(g) a description sufficient to identify the goods or services supplied,

(h) for each description, the quantity of the goods or the extent of the services, and the rate of VAT and the amount payable, excluding VAT, expressed in any currency

(i) the gross total amount payable, excluding VAT, expressed in any currency

(j) the rate of any cash discount offered,

(k) [Omitted by SI 2003/3220, reg. 7(a).]**

(l) the total amount of VAT chargeable, expressed in sterling.

(m) the unit price

(n) where a margin scheme is applied under section 50A or section 53 of the Act , a relevant reference or any indication that a margin scheme has been applied,***

(o) where a VAT invoice relates in whole or part to a supply where the person supplied is liable to pay the tax, a relevant reference or any indication that the supply is one where the customer is liable to pay the tax.***

*Item ‘a’ in Regulation 14(1) above was amended by SI2085/2007, regulation 7(a), operative from 1 October 2007.

The former regulation 14(1)(a) read:

(a) an identifying number

**Items ‘f’ and ‘k’ in Regulation 14(1) above were omitted by SI2003/3220, reg 7(a), operative from 1 January 2004.

Former reg. 14(1)(f) read:

(f) “the type of supply by reference to the following categories-

(i) a supply by sale,

(ii) a supply on hire purchase or any similar transaction,

(iii) a supply by loan,

(iv) a supply by way of exchange,

(v) a supply on hire, lease or rental,

(vi) a supply of goods made from the customers materials,

(vii) a supply by sale on commission,

(viii) a supply on sale or return or similar terms, or

(ix) any other type of supply which the Commissioners may at any time by notice specify,”

Former reg. 14(1)(k) read:

(k) “each rate of VAT chargeable and the amount of VAT chargeable, expressed in sterling, at each such rate, and”

***Items (n) and (o) in regulation 14(1) were inserted by SI2085/2007, regulation 7(b), operative from 1 October 2007.

The inclusion of regulation 14(1)(o) also required the omission of regulation 14(5) by 2085/2007, regulation 7(1).

Former regulation 14(5) read:

Where a registered person provides a VAT invoice relating in whole or in part to a supply the VAT upon which is required to be accounted for and paid by the person supplied, on the supplier’s behalf, the supplier shall state that fact, and the amount of VAT so to be accounted for and paid, on the invoice.