Now I'm confused. All I have researched suggests you HAVE to pay VAT in the UK. If you pay VAT in Germany first then you have to pay 2 lots of VAT (a big sum!) before providing proof to German dealer of UK VAT paid, whereupon they will refund German VAT in euros.
To avoid paying twice (a cashflow problem, but not a trivial one) one potential way is to provide the German dealer with a euro cheque for VAT which he won't cash (and might bounce if he did!) until he receives proof of UK VAT payment whereupon the cheque is ripped up. That is obviously at the dealer's discretion and mine won't.
The other way is to pay the UK VAT up front and provide proof to the German dealer who won't then charge you German VAT.
OK, sorted, so I checked this afternoon with the HMRC VAT helpline to ask about the mechanics of pre-paying VAT and was told I don't need to - if I provide them with proof on notification by the NOVA process I won't pay VAT twice.
Brilliant! Other than I don't believe the helpline and can't find anything to corroborate this statement on their VAT notices :-(
What say you?
Thanks,
Dave
To avoid paying twice (a cashflow problem, but not a trivial one) one potential way is to provide the German dealer with a euro cheque for VAT which he won't cash (and might bounce if he did!) until he receives proof of UK VAT payment whereupon the cheque is ripped up. That is obviously at the dealer's discretion and mine won't.
The other way is to pay the UK VAT up front and provide proof to the German dealer who won't then charge you German VAT.
OK, sorted, so I checked this afternoon with the HMRC VAT helpline to ask about the mechanics of pre-paying VAT and was told I don't need to - if I provide them with proof on notification by the NOVA process I won't pay VAT twice.
Brilliant! Other than I don't believe the helpline and can't find anything to corroborate this statement on their VAT notices :-(
What say you?
Thanks,
Dave