Our team of experts has experience of working as HM Revenue and Customs officers and are able to help you understand the ever-changing case law, legislation and guidance in order to help you stay compliant.
VAT planning helps you make the most of every transaction.
- Identify the best time to register and the most suitable VAT accounting method for your business
- Develop good procedures and rigorous systems.
We will guide you through your return submissions and errors, and can even negotiate with HMRC on your behalf.
We will carry out a regular VAT 'health check' of your business to make sure you don't pay unnecessary VAT and you recover the maximum amount you can.

Different because you are
We pride ourselves on providing individually tailored services to our clients. Whatever your aspirations and priorities in business and life, we will be by your side with expert advice from local specialists. It is because your needs are unique, that the solutions we provide are distinct and personalised to you.
We can help with all aspects of VAT planning, but have particular expertise in:
- Land, property and construction
- Business transfers
- The flat rate scheme and partial exemption
- Imports, exports and trade on both EU and an international level
- Charities and academies
- VAT assurance visits, penalties and voluntary disclosures
- Financial services.
Useful links from HMRC: The latest Import and Export guides
Get in touch to speak to our team or to book a consultation with our VAT specialist Rob Geary.
If you're looking to understand a bit more about what VAT is, however, then visit our guide to VAT.
VAT Advice and Services Articles
Our latest VAT articles

VAT Explained

Timely intervention prevented our client paying £1000s in VAT

VAT opportunity for UK holiday lets or serviced accommodation
Key partners and staff
Rob Geary
VAT ConsultantFAQs
How can you help to ensure my business stays up to date with changes to rules and regulations?
Our team of experts are former HM Revenue and Customs officers and are dedicated to keeping up to date with changes to the VAT legislation, reviewing case law and HMRC’s own guidance so they can help our clients to understand how these impact on their business and remain compliant. They like to get to know our clients and how their business operates, so that they can share their knowledge and experience when providing individual guidance and support.
Is the VAT rate going to be reduced?
We recently witnessed the UK’s ability to implement reduced VAT rates. They took the decision to reduce the VAT rate for certain hospitality, holiday accommodation, attractions and food and drink supplies in an effort to boost business during the Covid-19 pandemic. The reduced rates are gradually increasing to 12.5% from 1 October 2021 and then reverting to 20% with effect from 1 April 2022.Crucially, the UK is now able to determine their own VAT rates so there could well be further reductions ahead.
What does a VAT consultant do?
Our VAT consultants provide support and assistance for all our clients and for all types of VAT enquiries. This can range from taking an appeal to a tribunal hearing to explaining how to import goods or whether VAT should be charged on a certain supply and everything in between! They have a lot of experience both as HMRC officers and in practice which means they can see the bigger picture. They provide practical advice so that our clients can understand the ever-changing case law, legislation and guidance that affects them. They also help clients with VAT return submissions, errors, queries and can even negotiate with HMRC on a clients’ behalf. We offer regular VAT reviews for your business and produce VAT alerts periodically on our website. Whilst our VAT consultants specialise in some of the more complex sectors such as land and property, construction, business transfers, VAT schemes, partial exemption, imports, exports etc. they also cover wider issues such as trade on both EU and an international level, charities, academies, VAT assurance visits, penalties and voluntary disclosures. So, no matter how complex or simple our clients VAT queries may be, we are well placed to assist them.
Why should I pick Lovewell Blake for VAT advice services?
There is no such thing as a ‘silly question’ when it comes to VAT because there are so many possible outcomes and possibilities and rarely are two cases the same. By seeking VAT advice not only will you understand the situation, but it will help to decide how best to proceed. At Lovewell Blake, we cover all aspects of VAT compliance, planning and preparation and advisory queries and have worked with a diverse range of businesses from sole traders to multinational organisations. We get to know our clients tailor the advice accordingly to suit their needs.
Related news

Interest and partial exemption
Whilst the rise in bank interest is welcome news to some, for others it could have an unexpected VAT implication.

New VAT penalty regime from 1 January 2023
HMRC have introduced a new VAT penalty regime for VAT returns which are submitted late or not paid on time for periods starting on or after 1 January 2023.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) – old VAT portal closes 1 November 2022
HMRC have announced that they are closing the existing VAT online portal at the end of October 2022.

Care Homes: Looking beyond the VAT rules
Most VAT registered businesses have at some point queried whether they can reclaim the VAT on an expense. If the expense is a personal or non-business expense, the answer is usually ‘no’. If the expense is directly linked to goods or services that are subject to VAT at 0% 5% or 20%, then the answer is usually ‘yes’.

Smaller VAT-registered businesses urged to prepare for 'Making Tax Digital'
Small VAT-registered businesses have until April 2022 to prepare for a shake-up in the way they submit VAT returns.

Take care to avoid the HMRC's Scrooge-like attitude to Christmas generosity
As employers gear up for the Christmas party season for the first time in two years, they need to take care to avoid a tax hangover.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for income tax delayed by a year until 2024
The government confirmed on 23 September that, following concerted feedback from a range of stakeholders, the planned introduction of MTD for income tax in April 2023 will be delayed until April 2024.

HMRC clarifies new penalty regime for late tax payments
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has updated their guidance on the new regime for penalties and interest for late payment of tax. This is the next step in an ongoing process of unifying the rules across all the taxes.

B2C place of supply of digital services
An ongoing area of risk for both VAT registered and Non-VAT registered businesses is the place of supply of their services, as there are many small differences which can catch suppliers out. For VAT purposes, the place of supply is generally where a business is liable to charge VAT.

DIY VAT claim
There is a special mechanism to recover VAT incurred on building, or converting a non-residential property into, a new home for you or a family member to live in. This is often referred to as a DIY VAT claim and is well worth exploring to recover some of the VAT costs that could otherwise be forgotten about.

Making Tax Digital for VAT
When Making Tax Digital for VAT (MTD) was introduced back in 2019, it was compulsory for most businesses trading above the VAT threshold of £85,000 to keep records in a digital format and submit their VAT returns using MTD compatible software.

ICAEW urges HMRC to scrap exemptions to simplify VAT rules
In response to HMRC's consultation on simplifying the rules relating to land and property, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has urged HMRC to abolish all VAT exemptions and remove all VAT options.

Royal Opera House VAT alert
A recent Court of Appeal case concerning the Royal Opera House Foundation has decided that that there was no direct and immediate link between the costs of staging productions and their taxable supplies of catering etc. The production costs were found to be ‘directly and immediately linked’ to ticket sales which are exempt from VAT due to the cultural exemption rules and the VAT costs incurred on them as a consequence was irrecoverable.

Schemes create one stop shop for VAT on EU trade
Three schemes were launched on 1 July to deal with VAT on business-to-consumer supplies of goods and services to EU customers.

VAT on the sale and leaseback of care homes
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Balhousie Holdings [Balhousie Holdings Ltd v HMRC [2021] UKSC 11] indicates that care home operators (and other entities such as charities and universities) may be able to use sell and lease back arrangements to finance the construction of new buildings without incurring a significant VAT penalty.
VAT considerations for construction projects
If you are involved with the demolition or development of a building then consideration should be given to the VAT position and whether it can be reclaimed. Generally speaking, VAT costs would need to be incurred solely in relation to the making of taxable supplies whether they are currently being made or if there is an intention to make taxable supplies.

Updated VAT Alert – Welfare services
A recent Court of Appeal case has decided against two organisations that provided day care services.

HMRC's VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme to close this month
Businesses that deferred VAT payments last year have less than a month left to join online and pay in monthly instalments under the VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme, HMRC has warned.
HMRC’s new deferral payment scheme is now open
HMRC’s new VAT deferral payment scheme is now open to all eligible businesses, including those businesses using the Payment on Account and Annual Accounting schemes.

VAT alert - Domestic reverse charge article updates
From 1 March 2021, if your VAT-registered business provides certain supplies of construction services to another business you may no longer need to charge them VAT. This is because your customer may need to account for it under the new domestic reverse charge for construction services.

Business support vital to understand post-Brexit VAT rules, says leading regional expert
Complicated new VAT rules post-Brexit are causing big headaches for both importers and exporters - and with a change in the system unlikely to happen, businesses are going to have to get to grips with the new VAT regime or else stop trading with the EU.

Phased approach to Post-Brexit importation rules provides a little clarity
In the latest of our series of weekly Brexit Blogs, Mary Schofield of Lovewell Blake explains how the government is planning a phased introduction of import controls once the transition period comes to an end.

VAT filing changes in Xero
The original method of filing VAT returns in Xero is changing soon and we are assisting our clients to be ready for this.

Cashflow and administrative impact of Brexit-related VAT rule change
In the latest of our series of weekly Brexit Blogs, Rob Geary explains how Brexit will result in changes to VAT rules which will affect any business importing or exporting goods.

VAT alert - builder's block on input VAT
‘A recent first-tier tribunal case, Wickford Development Co Limited v HMRC, has been found in favour of the taxpayer, raising again the possibility of HMRC incorrectly interpreting the scope of the ‘Builder’s Block’, this being HMRC’s block on builders and contractors recovering input VAT incurred on goods that are not ‘building materials ordinarily incorporated in a building’.

VAT alert - Compensation vs Consideration for a supply
Previously, HMRC guidance stated that when customers are charged early termination fees to withdraw from contracts, or payments are required for breach of contract, then these charges are not generally relating to a supply and are outside the scope of VAT.

VAT Alert - Vehicle purchases
Many businesses purchase vehicles to support their day-to-day operations. Whilst it may be assumed that, as a vehicle is being acquired by a business to support their activities, the VAT incurred on the purchase costs would be recoverable, this is often not the case.

VAT Alert - Making Tax Digital
At present, only VAT registered businesses with a taxable turnover greater than £85,000 are required to register for Making Tax Digital (MTD) and submit their returns through compatible software.

Summer Statement: Chancellor announces 'Plan for Jobs' policy to help Britain bounce back
Whilst delivering the summer statement in Parliament on 8 July 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, presented his ‘Plan for Jobs’ worth up to £30 billion to help Britain bounce back from the Coronavirus outbreak.

Zero rated VAT for PPE
A temporary VAT zero rate will apply to all supplies of PPE which are made between 1 May and 31 October 2020.

Change to partial exemption VAT treatment
The CJEU has considered a VAT case concerning the recovery of overhead VAT costs for a partially exempt business who supplied goods by way of hire purchase (the taxable supply) and the supply of credit (the exempt supply).

VAT alert: Domestic reverse charge on building and construction services
If your VAT-registered business provides construction services to another business you will no longer need to charge them VAT.

Time to consider whether to defer payment of tax bills falling due
VAT, PAYE and Corporation Tax payments falling due can be deferred – but should you.

Making Tax Digital - the next phase
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT was introduced on 1 April 2019 for all business trading above £85,000 of taxable supplies, with an extension until 1 October 2019 for some businesses eg groups.

VAT alert - Digital publications
A recent Upper Tier Tribunal case has resulted in digital newspapers being judged the same as hard copy printed newspapers and therefore zero rated. Prior to the case, digital publications were seen by HMRC as standard rated.

VAT Alert: EU VAT 'quick fix' simplification changes to cross-border trading
From 1 January 2020, the European Commission are introducing a number of ‘quick fixes’ aiming to simplify and harmonise EU VAT rules regarding intra-EU supplies of goods.

VAT Alert: VAT on lost space of bathroom and washroom conversions for disabled people
There are some VAT reliefs for disabled people. These typically relate to goods, however certain building works also qualify for VAT relief.

The option to tax on commercial property - where it can go wrong
An ‘option to tax’ is a formal declaration made by a VAT registered entity which has an interest in a commercial property or land. The interest can be freehold or leasehold.