Transactional
VAT Support
Managing VAT correctly during high-value or complex transactions is essential to avoid unexpected liabilities, HMRC enquiries, or penalties. Mistakes in VAT treatment, even when unintended, can trigger investigations and put businesses at financial risk. That is why accurate transactional VAT support is so important.
At My Tax Consultants, we specialise in providing transactional VAT support to businesses involved in complex deals, restructures, cross-border sales, property transactions, and large capital acquisitions. Our experienced team provides clear, commercially focused advice to help you manage VAT risks effectively and respond quickly if HMRC raises questions.
What Is Transactional VAT Support?
Transactional VAT support refers to advice and assistance provided before, during, and after major business transactions. This service focuses on ensuring VAT is treated correctly, recorded properly, and disclosed to HMRC in line with all relevant legislation.
Common scenarios where transactional VAT support is critical include:
- Business acquisitions and disposals
- Group restructuring or mergers
- Cross-border supply of goods and services
- Sale and purchase of commercial property
- Land and property development projects
- High-value asset sales
- Transactions involving overseas suppliers or customers
Each of these transactions can give rise to complex VAT questions. Without specialist support, businesses can face VAT underpayments, penalties, and interest — often years after a transaction has completed.
Why Transactional VAT Support Matters
Getting VAT wrong on significant transactions can have serious financial consequences. HMRC has increasingly focused on transactional errors as part of its compliance programme. In many cases, VAT errors are not immediately visible and only surface after an HMRC audit or targeted review.
Common issues include:
- Misapplication of zero-rating or exemptions
- Incorrect recovery of input VAT
- Failure to account for reverse charge VAT on cross-border services
- Mistakes with the VAT treatment of land and property deals
- Errors in the application of Transfer of a Going Concern (TOGC) rules
Proactive transactional VAT support can help avoid these risks and provide businesses with peace of mind that their VAT obligations have been properly managed.
How My Tax Consultants Can Help
At My Tax Consultants, we take a detailed and practical approach to transactional VAT support. We start by understanding the structure and commercial aims of the transaction. We then analyse the VAT treatment required at each stage and advise on any necessary steps to comply with legislation and protect VAT recovery.
We provide:
- Pre-transaction VAT advice and planning
- Review of contractual terms to address VAT implications
- Assistance with VAT registrations and applications where needed
- Drafting of VAT clauses for contracts
- Preparation of VAT disclosure documents for HMRC
- Representation during any HMRC enquiry into the transaction
If an HMRC enquiry has already begun, we can help by reviewing the transaction, identifying issues, preparing responses, and liaising with HMRC officers to resolve matters.
Our aim is to help clients complete transactions smoothly, minimise VAT risks, and defend their position if HMRC raises challenges.
Common Questions About Transactional VAT Support
Do I need transactional VAT support for every deal?
While simple day-to-day transactions may not require specialist input, larger or more unusual deals, especially cross-border or property-related, often do. Getting early advice can prevent expensive mistakes later.
What happens if HMRC challenges a past transaction?
If an HMRC review identifies VAT errors in a past transaction, penalties and interest could apply. Immediate professional advice is critical to managing exposure and resolving issues efficiently.
Can transactional VAT support improve VAT recovery?
Correct structuring and documentation of a transaction can often improve VAT recovery rates, especially for partially exempt businesses or organisations involved in property development.
Contact My Tax Consultants
If you are planning a significant transaction, or if HMRC has raised questions about VAT on a past deal, contact My Tax Consultants for specialist transactional VAT support. Our team is ready to provide the clear advice you need to manage risk and move forward with confidence.
