ECSL - customer supplies VAT number after submission

Gem7321

Please can anyone help with this scenario:

Customer which is in the EU does not supply VAT number so we charge VAT. They then provide their VAT number (in the same month as which the invoice was raised) and we could credit the VAT amount and treat as an EC sale.

But what if the customer supplies the VAT number after the EC Sales list has already been submitted? Is there a deadline for a customer to provide their VAT number? I understand that we can correct our ECSL up to 21 days after submission but my concern is that we could raise an invoice in Feb and charge VAT, the customer could then register for VAT in March and therefore supply us with a valid VAT number - and we would credit the VAT on this basis and treat the Feb invoice as an ECSL and submit a correction.

Any advice gratefully received.

reader

Gem7321 wrote: »

Please can anyone help with this scenario:

Customer which is in the EU does not supply VAT number so we charge VAT. They then provide their VAT number (in the same month as which the invoice was raised) and we could credit the VAT amount and treat as an EC sale.

But what if the customer supplies the VAT number after the EC Sales list has already been submitted? Is there a deadline for a customer to provide their VAT number? I understand that we can correct our ECSL up to 21 days after submission but my concern is that we could raise an invoice in Feb and charge VAT, the customer could then register for VAT in March and therefore supply us with a valid VAT number - and we would credit the VAT on this basis and treat the Feb invoice as an ECSL and submit a correction.

Any advice gratefully received.

If you need to make a correction to one of your ECSL's you can complete the following VAT101B form and send it in to HMRC (to my knowledge there is no deadline for this form).

If you do have any concerns it is always worth giving the VAT helpline a call and discussing things with them.

In the situation that you have described above I would:

1) Call the VAT helpline to let them know the situation and to let them know that you'll be sending in Form VAT101B.
2) Complete and post Form VAT101B with the amendments.
3) Not worry about it.