Company A purchases items from a small hardware retailer. The invoice includes the normal details plus the total price and the VAT number of the retailer. Is this a valid VAT invoice or does the amount of VAT have to be shown separately?
a sequential number, based on one or more series, which uniquely identifies the invoice,
the full name, address and the registration number of the person who supplied the goods or services to which the invoice relates,
the full name and address of the person to whom the goods or services were supplied,
in the case of a reverse charge (excluding a supply of construction services subject to Relevant Contracts Tax) supply the Value-Added Tax identification number of the person to whom the supply was made and an indication that a reverse charge applies,
in the case of a supply of goods, other than a reverse charge supply, to a person registered for Value-Added Tax in another Member State, the person’s Value-Added Tax identification number in that Member State and an indication that the invoice relates to an intra-Community supply of goods,
the quantity and nature of the goods supplied or the extent and nature of the services rendered,
the date on which the goods or services were supplied or, in the case of early payment prior to the completion of the supply, the date on which the payment on account was made, in so far as that date differs from the date of issue of the invoice,
in respect of the goods or services supplied:
the unit price exclusive of VAT,
any discounts or price reductions not included in the unit price, and
the consideration exclusive of VAT.
in respect of the goods or services supplied, other than reverse charge supplies:
the consideration exclusive of tax for each rate (including zero-rate) of VAT, and
the rate of VAT chargeable.
the VAT payable in respect of the supply of the goods or services, except in the case of:
a reverse charge supply, or
goods supplied:
under the margin scheme for second-hand goods, or
under the special scheme for auctioneers,
where the invoice should be clearly endorsed ‘Margin Scheme – this invoice does not give the right to an input credit of VAT’.
in the case where a tax representative is liable to pay the VAT in another Member State, the full name and address and the Value-Added Tax identification number of that representative.
Thanks for the replies. If Revenue were to apply all the above criteria then sole traders would never be able to reclaim VAT on diesel since the till receipts from service stations don't show the customer's name.
Likewise I was amazed with the official position re vat invoices posted above.
At least half the small invoices out there in peoples legitimate vat accounts are technically invalid!