What is an Input Tax Credit?

If you’re a business owner in Birmingham around UK, then you’re collecting GST from your customers and remitting it to the HMRC. However, you’re also paying GST to your vendors on legitimate business expenses. The amount your remit to the HMRC can be offset by the amount you pay to vendors. This offset is the input tax credit (ITC).Without input tax credits, many products that we buy every day would be taxed over and over.

                             


Think, for example, of a sandwich you buy at our local Calgary corner store – the shop that sells it charges GST, as does the catering company that made the sandwich, the bakery that baked the bread, the cheese maker who made the cheese, the dairy farm that produced the milk to make the cheese… and so on and so on.

What input tax credits mean for businesses is that while you may collect a large amount of GST, you only actually have to give the government the difference between what you collected and what you paid out. For this reason, solid bookkeeping is very important. This is why our bookkeepers work closely with our clients to keep meticulous records of both the GST that is collected and the GST that is pay out.

Your bookkeeping records have to be extremely clear and detailed because when you make an input tax credit claim to the HMRC, you will be required to provide proof that these expenses were incurred legitimately and paid out as reported. The clearer this is, the easier time you’ll have working with HMRC in the event you have to undertake a GST audit. While these audits are never any fun, they are also nothing to fear if your records are in good order and you have kept track of receipts.

Here’s a tip:

• When you receive a receipt from a supplier or service provider, make sure that the amount of GST is itemized on the receipt and that the vendor’s GST number is recorded on the receipt. 

• You can save time and money by breaking out the GST and making a note of it on your cheque stubs so your bookkeeper doesn’t have to rifle through receipts or back it out.

• Nobody likes paying tax, so it’s really important to keep on top of those receipts and see your bookkeeper regularly to be sure that you are claiming as many input tax credits as you can and offsetting your GST remittance. 

R R Accountants LTD bookkeeper service in Birmingham help you to keep on top of your GST remittance schedule, whether it be monthly, quarterly or annual. If you are thinking about using the services of a professional bookkeeper, give us a call at 0121 766 5477 or email info@rraccountants.co.uk for a free consultation.