VAT Helpline - Frustration!

System
System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
edited June 18 in AAT member discussion
I have just been trying to sort out "mis-advice" given by the VAT people. My client is de-registering for VAT and was told that he had to account for VAT on any assets (ie his van and stock) that had a value of over £1,000 or £149 of VAT. I had to convince my client that this was not the case and that they only had to account for VAT over £1,000, ie £5,714. THE VAT MAN IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT! Has anyone else come across some "mis-advice"?

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:VAT Helpline - Frustration!

    I started a thread a few months ago about the advice centre because I had also received misleading advice. It was quite serious what happened as it resulted in my client being ill-advised. The VAT query itself was not straightforward and one which the adviser really should have referred to an Inspector. Upon investigation I found the advice given was totally inappropriate. The client in question was not an approachable client to start off with and knew I had referred the matter to HMRC but insisted it was our fault. Thankfully we've ditched him!

    I complained to HMRC who told me that they log all the calls and would be able to listen back to the conversation. Funnily enough, when they came back to me they "had difficulty in locating the conversation. The name of the employee I had given did not exist at HMRC!" :roll:

    My advice would be not to rely on HMRC for advice but to go through Croners whose details you can obtain from the AAT as the VAT advice service appears to have staff working there who know very little about their job.

    Kind regards
    Steve
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:VAT Helpline - Frustration!

    I have also recieved confusing and incomplete advice from the VAT helpline. Generally the call centre staff seem to be able to do little more than read the notices to you. They don't seem to have any in-depth knowledge or the gumption to look deeper than the first layer of information.
    I will usually use the VAT helpline as a first port of call if I need to know which notices are relevant to my enquiry (as it's sometimes very time consuming to wade through search results.
    A have used Croner for more complicated issues. You can usually speak to someine with an enquiring mind who is prepared to look into your query and get back to you with a complete and well considered answer.

    Sheelagh
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:VAT Helpline - Frustration!

    Yes, and I think one of the biggest problems is that when they give out advice, to us or the public in general, they APPEAR to know what they are talking about and so give the impression that the information is correct. Afterall to the general public, who know nothing else, the VAT man must be right!!??

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