Our website uses cookies to enhance the visitor experience (what's a cookieCookies are small text files that are stored on your computer when you visit a website. They are mainly used as a way of improving the website functionalities or to provide more advanced statistical data.). Are you happy for us to use cookies during your visits?
Please note: continuing without making a choice equates to giving us your consent, which you can withdraw at any time via our cookies policy page.

Laptop
Stay Updated & Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Be the first to know about our regular updates, latest resources and news. To receive our great newsletter all you need to do is enter your details and submit !

 

Sage
Bookkeepping
Training

Learn More Small

Services

Learn More Small

IHT & Estate
Planing

Learn More Small

Tax
Planning

Learn More Small

Selling Your Business - the VAT Implications

Newsletter issue - August 08.

When you sell the shares in your own company there are few VAT implications. The VAT registration will normally go with the company, as it is the company that is VAT registered not you as the owner of that company. If you are a director of the company you will want to resign, tell Companies House and tell the HMRC VAT office you are no longer a director.

Where you sell the assets and trade of your business, either out of your company or as a sole trader or partnership business, the transfer may qualify as a transfer of a going concern (TOGC). If TOGC applies you don't charge VAT on the transfer of the assets. The conditions for a TOGC to apply for VAT purposes are:

  • the entire business is transferred as a going concern; or
  • if only a part of a business is being sold, that part must be capable of separate operation; and
  • the purchaser must use the assets in the same kind of business, which may be as part of an existing business; and
  • the purchaser should already be VAT registered, or becomes VAT registered as a result of acquiring the business.

Your business need not be profitable at the time of transfer. The TOGC treatment can apply to a trading business sold on by a liquidator or by an administrative receiver.

If the conditions for TOGC are not met and you are VAT registered, you must charge VAT on the sale of each of the assets. Certain types of real property will be zero-rated or exempt from VAT, so ask us for advice in advance if the sale includes land or buildings.

 

Charities & Not For Profit

We have been providing charity clients with high quality, specialist advice and service for many years, and our charity clients range from small village halls to large national organisations...

Learn More Small

Farming Industry

The largest industry sector that we deal with is farming, as you would expect in a rural practice. This means that we have developed considerable expertise in this field...

Learn More Small

 

Back to the top