Sky
New Forest

23/05/2018

Zero Rating on New School Buildings

HMRC tried to deny zero rating for the construction of a new teaching block at St Brendan's Sixth Form College in Bristol. Getting this right has big cashflow implications, so this ruling should help reassure that new buildings can be zero rated for VAT purposes.

St Brendan's Sixth Form College in Bristol constructed a new teaching block. The construction of new buildings by an academy usually qualify for a specific VAT relief that means the works should be zero rated.

At first glance the new building appears to meet the conditions for this favourable treatment, but HMRC had other ideas.

The problem that the Revenue had with this project was the inclusion of the high level walkway that joined the new building (Block D) to the existing nearby building (Block C). This walkway was not the main entrance to the building, but provided a secondary means of access to the building.

The significance of the zero rating is two-fold. Firstly, zero rating has big cashflow benefits, as the VAT does not have to be funded up front and, secondly, the Revenue may refuse to repay VAT that has been incorrectly charged by the building firm.

Fortunately common sense prevailed when the matter went before the First Tier Tax Tribunal and zero rating of the building works was confirmed, much to the relief of the College. The case can be read here: TC06384.

Hopefully HMRC will not appeal this judgement, but it indicates that considerable care is required when considering the VAT position of major building projects.

View news articles

Latest Feeds

HMRC is watching you

Companies and individuals that are careless or deliberately non-compliant, in their tax affairs need to watch out.

Read the full article by clicking the link in bio.

3 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 18111270065128558
HMRC is watching youCompanies and individuals that are careless or deliberately non-compliant, in their tax affairs need to watch out.Read the full article by clicking the link in bio.

This October, our team is supporting @sophies_legacy with a crisp collection campaign aimed at helping the children and families the charity supports.

The charity gets through a massive 1,500 packets of crisps every week, so we are encouraging our staff, clients and contacts to help the charity by donating these well loved snacks throughout the month!

We`re challenging ourselves to fill our giant collection tube from top to bottom before the end of the month, and we`d love for you to join us on the journey! Any donations will be greatfully received and can be brought to our Chandlers Ford office.

A huge thank you in advance to everyone who donates and helps spread the word.

5 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 17989699079860949
This October, our team is supporting @sophies_legacy with a crisp collection campaign aimed at helping the children and families the charity supports.The charity gets through a massive 1,500 packets of crisps every week, so we are encouraging our staff, clients and contacts to help the charity by donating these well loved snacks throughout the month!We're challenging ourselves to fill our giant collection tube from top to bottom before the end of the month, and we'd love for you to join us on the journey! Any donations will be greatfully received and can be brought to our Chandlers Ford office.A huge thank you in advance to everyone who donates and helps spread the word.

Directors Lunch: Director Michaela Johns recently attended the Directors Lunch at the Captains Club, Christchurch, hosted by Dorset Chamber.

She enjoyed meeting a range of inspiring business leaders and making valuable new connections.

The insights and experiences of guest speaker, the highly experienced aviation professional and leader Spike Jepson MBE, were both motivating and thought-provoking.

Thank you to @dorsetchamber for another excellent networking event.

3 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 18227289937327282
Directors Lunch: Director Michaela Johns recently attended the Directors Lunch at the Captains Club, Christchurch, hosted by Dorset Chamber.She enjoyed meeting a range of inspiring business leaders and making valuable new connections.The insights and experiences of guest speaker, the highly experienced aviation professional and leader Spike Jepson MBE, were both motivating and thought-provoking.Thank you to @dorsetchamber for another excellent networking event.

Total Business Network: Matt Cooper attended a great morning at Broadstone Golf Club attending a @totalbusinessnetwork event, surrounded by local professionals and business leaders.

One of the highlights of the event was hearing from the CEO of @mytimeyoungcarers , whose passionate and insightful speech shone a light on the incredible work the charity does in supporting young carers and their families. It was both inspiring and thought-provoking to learn more about the challenges many young people face and the positive impact that dedicated support can have on their lives.

Events like these provide a valuable opportunity to connect with others, share experiences, and gain fresh perspectives from organisations making a real difference within our communities.

Thank you to Total Business Network for hosting another excellent event and to everyone who contributed to such engaging discussions.

5 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 18093721484450643
Total Business Network: Matt Cooper attended a great morning at Broadstone Golf Club attending a @totalbusinessnetwork event, surrounded by local professionals and business leaders.One of the highlights of the event was hearing from the CEO of @mytimeyoungcarers , whose passionate and insightful speech shone a light on the incredible work the charity does in supporting young carers and their families. It was both inspiring and thought-provoking to learn more about the challenges many young people face and the positive impact that dedicated support can have on their lives.Events like these provide a valuable opportunity to connect with others, share experiences, and gain fresh perspectives from organisations making a real difference within our communities.Thank you to Total Business Network for hosting another excellent event and to everyone who contributed to such engaging discussions.

At our September Academy Forum, we asked attendees:

"How prepared do you feel for the new Estate Management Standards annual return?"

The responses provided an interesting snapshot of current progress so far:

-Some work required was the most common response, receiving 57% of the votes.
-Haven`t looked at it yet followed with 29%.
-Very prepared received 14% of the votes.

If you couldn`t join us at the forum, we`d love to hear your thoughts.

How prepared do you feel for the new Estate Management Standards annual return? Let us know in the comments below.

1 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 18112392074047062
At our September Academy Forum, we asked attendees:"How prepared do you feel for the new Estate Management Standards annual return?"The responses provided an interesting snapshot of current progress so far:-Some work required was the most common response, receiving 57% of the votes. -Haven't looked at it yet followed with 29%. -Very prepared received 14% of the votes.If you couldn't join us at the forum, we'd love to hear your thoughts.How prepared do you feel for the new Estate Management Standards annual return? Let us know in the comments below.

Network my Club: A fantastic Club Insight event and a great opportunity to hear from Lina Small, Head of People and EDI at Portsmouth Football Club.

It was fascinating to gain an insight into the unique HR challenges of a professional football club, from supporting permanent staff and players to managing large teams of casual workers, match day staff, and volunteers.

It was particularly inspiring to hear how Equality, Diversity and Inclusion sits at the heart of the club`s culture, ensuring that everyone feels welcome both as employees and as fans.

Thank you to Lina for sharing such valuable insights and thank you to Network My Club for another great event.

1 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 18073812479682837
Network my Club: A fantastic Club Insight event and a great opportunity to hear from Lina Small, Head of People and EDI at Portsmouth Football Club.It was fascinating to gain an insight into the unique HR challenges of a professional football club, from supporting permanent staff and players to managing large teams of casual workers, match day staff, and volunteers.It was particularly inspiring to hear how Equality, Diversity and Inclusion sits at the heart of the club's culture, ensuring that everyone feels welcome both as employees and as fans.Thank you to Lina for sharing such valuable insights and thank you to Network My Club for another great event.

Ladies who network: Director Gemma Hedges enjoyed attending a fantastic event focused on wellbeing, confidence and personal growth.
The session from Mandy at Solent Mind highlighted the importance of recognising and managing anxiety, while Nicola from Nicola Green Consultancy shared valuable insights on developing confidence and setting healthy boundaries.

An inspiring afternoon at Burley Manor filled with learning, reflection, and meaningful conversations.

3 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 17902508061575469
Ladies who network: Director Gemma Hedges enjoyed attending a fantastic event focused on wellbeing, confidence and personal growth. The session from Mandy at Solent Mind highlighted the importance of recognising and managing anxiety, while Nicola from Nicola Green Consultancy shared valuable insights on developing confidence and setting healthy boundaries.An inspiring afternoon at Burley Manor filled with learning, reflection, and meaningful conversations.

At our September Academy Forum, we asked attendees:

"Which ATH 2026 change is likely to require the most work for you and your finance teams within your trust this year?"

The results highlighted some clear priorities:

-Inclusion and SEND was the top concern, receiving 47% of votes.
-Procurement followed in second place with 27%.
-Governance and Internal Scrutiny accounted for 20% of responses.
-CFO Qualifications received 7% of the vote.
-Interestingly, Financial Stability and Executive Pay did not receive any votes.

If you couldn`t join us at the forum, we`d love to hear your perspective. Which ATH 2026 change do you think will require the most attention and resource within your trust this year?

Let us know in the comments below.

1 0
Open post by hwbaccountants with ID 18122664772926209
At our September Academy Forum, we asked attendees:"Which ATH 2026 change is likely to require the most work for you and your finance teams within your trust this year?"The results highlighted some clear priorities:-Inclusion and SEND was the top concern, receiving 47% of votes. -Procurement followed in second place with 27%. -Governance and Internal Scrutiny accounted for 20% of responses. -CFO Qualifications received 7% of the vote. -Interestingly, Financial Stability and Executive Pay did not receive any votes.If you couldn't join us at the forum, we'd love to hear your perspective. Which ATH 2026 change do you think will require the most attention and resource within your trust this year?Let us know in the comments below.

Let's Talk

Why not arrange a FREE consultation and find out what we can do for your Academy.

Request a FREE consultation