Tax point & contract law

No, I'm assuming that HMC&E are correct at

I like then

Regardless of whether or not the HP company's accountant is ill, a VAT invoice can be issued up to 14 days after the supply of goods. This then becomes the Actual Tax Point. The only red herring is that HMC&E simply don't care what the HP company told the haulage contractor, because the invoice was issued legally regardless.

And it's the easiest assessment in the world for a VAT inspector to make to disallow a claim on the basis that no invoice is available to support the input tax. Sure, the client might get a couple of weeks to track down a copy from the supplier, but if it has the incorrect date on it the effect is just the same - disallowed.

Shano

Good grief! Whatever happened to "sense of humour" and "being able to take a joke"?

This was an example of how we think each other are idiots because we make assumptions that are different to the assumptions other people make. VAT isn't *only* a list of rules, it's a group of human beings operating within circumstances which weren't envisaged in the rules...

Sorry I'm forgetting I'm talking to myself.

I dont see why the haulage contractor has to go bust. They should just not send off their VAT return. They could usually delay until the next one is due and their cash flow problem should be solved even if it costs them a VAT surcharge.