VAT, indirect taxes and the Autumn Statement 2013

The Autumn Statement 2013 resulted in a number of reforms mainly aimed at specific business types or assets

Remote gambling tax reform

Announced in the Budget 2012, legislation will be introduced to amend the general betting duty, pool betting duty and remote gaming duty.

This will affect all gambling operators who supply remote gambling to the UK customers, as well as some changes to UK-based gambling operators.

From 1 December 2014 duty is now charged on operators with betting and gambling profits from transactions with UK customers, ie the place of consumption.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)

A restructured VED rate for HGVs, the HGV Road User Levy, was introduced on 1 April 2014 - the date when Reduced Pollution Certificate discounts ceased.

This affects owners and operators of HGVs who fall within the HGV Road User Levy and other vehicle operators that fall within RPC.

There are major changes to the VED regime:

  1. New legislation allows motorists to pay by direct debit annually, biannually or monthly (a 5% surcharge will apply to biannual and monthly payments). 
  2. New legislation has removed the requirement to issue and display a paper tax disc.

This will affect individuals and organisations that own a motor vehicle. These changes were effective from 1 October 2014.

Climate change levy (CCL)

Legislation will be introduced to correct the carbon price support rates for coal and other solid fossil fuels from 1 April 2014 to 1 April 2015.

Fuel duty

The Chancellor announced a freeze in the fuel duty for ‘the remainder of this Parliament’. The anticipated increase in September 2014 of 1.61 pence per litre was therefore cancelled.

The Chancellor went on to announce that on the cost saving will amount to the average motorist by 2015-16 saving £11 every time they fill their tank - a saving of £680 for a typical motorist.

He also highlighted that ‘by the end of the parliament average pump prices will be 20 pence per litre lower than pre 2010'.

This is another measure to help small business with the average potential saving for a small business, with a van being estimated at £1,300 and for a haulier business estimated at £21,000 by 2015-16.

Other fuel duty announcements maintain the differential between lower road fuel duty on gases (compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas and biomethane) and the main fuel duty rate until March 2014.

The differential between the main fuel duty rate and the rate for liquefied petroleum gas will reduce by 1% each year until 2024.

The government will also seek European Union approval to apply a reduced fuel duty rate for methanol.

VAT: changes to the place-of-supply rules

Changes have been made with the introduction of legislation announced in  Budget 2013. The two changes are:

  • the place of supply from where the supplier is established to where the customer belongs, effective from 1 January 2015; 
  • to provide suppliers with the option of registering in just one member state and account for VAT due in other member states through a Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS) VAT return, effective for supplies made on or after 1 January 2015. 

The MOSS will affect:

  • supplies of broadcasting to non-business customers;
  • supplies of telecommunications to non-business customers;
  • supplies of e-services to non-business customers;
  • UK consumers of broadcasting, telecommunications and e-services (BTE) supplies;
  • operators of e-service marketplaces that act as intermediaries in the supply of telecoms or e-services;
  • non-taxable legal persons, which are currently regarded as belonging where they are legally constituted. 

There will be further changes to the agency legislation to reflect these rules for taxable persons acting in their own name on behalf of another when supplying telecommunication or e-services, and to align with other member states and to close minor loopholes used by certain anti-avoidance schemes.

VAT refunds for Health Research Authority and Health Education England

The Care Act 2014 introduced two new health service bodies:

  • Health Education England
  • Health Research Authority. 

The Finance Bill will include these bodies with the other named bodies that are entitled to recover VAT paid in relation to certain non-business activities.  

VAT treatment of refunds by manufacturers

Announced in Budget 2013, the Finance Bill will allow manufacturers to reduce their VAT payments to take into account of refunds they make to final consumers.

This will be introduced by secondary legislation and regulations.