VAT reclaim delays

[Oldsteel]

I know this a well known topic BUT would still like to know anyone's recent experience. I submitted our claim by registered post in September 2022, still heard zilch from HMRC, no reference number, nothing. All I have is proof of receipt of the package. I have been on the HMRC self build VAT forum and it looks like they are processing claims now from July. I am now looking at having to add the VAT reclaim part of our budget to a mortgage for the necessary 'finishing off' expenses. Has anyone been successful in claiming these costs back from HMRC? If so by what method? Making a formal complaint, or maybe contacting my MP?

[nod]

Unlikely 

Especially with everywhere being short staffed 

[ToughButterCup]

In haste: you will find several posts about this issue on BH.

 

Short answer - HMRC is consistently INconsistent. Some have got a second claim approved, some not.

[Conor]

We submitted in September as well, heard nothing, can't get through to phone line.

 

I think we'll chance our arm with a second submission next year as we've significant landscaping and associated structures that are a strict part of our planning conditions. I.e. if we don't build a particular wall we are in breach of conditions etc. Argument is that we need the funds from first application to pay for these works. The balcony and retaining walls alone are £15k.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Conor

[JamesP]

Sent my Vat return in August 2022. 

Rang them last week and after a 45 minute hold, spoke to a human who said an Advisor would call back at a specific time on Friday which they did.

Apparently they are just processing late July 2022.

Potentially another 4-6 weeks.

 

[Blooda]

Mine was submitted in August 22 - I rang up End of October later and they did confirm they had received it, and said they processing claims from March.  So if they are processing claims from July they may have caught up a bit. 

 

 

[Oldsteel]

Accepting the annoying fact they still quote 6 weeks on the website, I suppose the replies above are mildly encouraging in that they do appear to be catching up. @JamesPhad you received a reference number prior to your call? Also interested in the 'second claim' references, is this a repeat of the first claim or an additional one? We submitted within 3 months of moving in based on the valuation letter to be sure of staying within the 3 month window, but only got final BR approval two months later, rueing the lost opportunity to claim back subsequent VAT expense.

[JamesP]

11 hours ago, Oldsteel said:

Accepting the annoying fact they still quote 6 weeks on the website, I suppose the replies above are mildly encouraging in that they do appear to be catching up. @JamesPhad you received a reference number prior to your call? Also interested in the 'second claim' references, is this a repeat of the first claim or an additional one? We submitted within 3 months of moving in based on the valuation letter to be sure of staying within the 3 month window, but only got final BR approval two months later, rueing the lost opportunity to claim back subsequent VAT expense.

Not received a reference number before I made this call last week. First contact since I posted back in August.

[Blooda]

On 10/01/2023 at 14:22, Blooda said:

Mine was submitted in August 22 - I rang up End of October later and they did confirm they had received it, and said they processing claims from March.  So if they are processing claims from July they may have caught up a bit. 

 

 

Letter back from them today.

"Why is your correspondance address different to the NEW BUILD Address."

 

Probably because the first line of the covering letter said "I enclose the planning permission documents and plans, please note some of these have the address of land adjacent to ............. For the avoidance of doubt this is the address of the land prior to the local authority allocating the official address."

 

Our access is in a different street and has a different postcode.

 

On Hold [40 mins and counting] to them now,

 

Edit:- Talked to a real person. I managed to keep my cool and be polite*  ...... "Thank you, please write to us and explain the situation"

 

 

*As my old boss used to say "they have the gold and we want it"

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Blooda

[JamesP]

Update.

Received letter from National DIY VAT Team yesterday, outlining they have received my documents and now hope to deal with the claim in 6 weeks.

That took 5 months!

[Haylingbilly]

I got mine back today. Paid in full. Submitted mid May

[jack]

1 hour ago, Andy brown said:

I got mine back today. Paid in full. Submitted mid May

 

Great news!

[ToughButterCup]

18 hours ago, Andy brown said:

I got mine back today. Paid in full. Submitted mid May

 

Excellent. Roughly the same delay as mine. Spent it already though 😕. Lend us a fivver will ya?

[Oldsteel]

Like others, I did get through this week to the helpline and arranged a call-back on Thursday, which they did. Explained that they are now processing July'22, so they reckoned 2-3 weeks before they get to September. She confirmed receipt, gave me a claim reference number and said they have caught up significantly in the past few weeks, which hopefully will last and bode well for others.

[JamesP]

Unexpectedly my invoices were returned today via Royal Mail with accompanying letter saying payment will be made within 10 days.

They excluded one invoice saying it was a pro forma? not sure but will contest it as it has nearly a grand of VAT.

 

All I can recommend is send your invoices and documents using a secure guaranteed service and then phone them for a reference number and call them regularly.

Mine took nearly 6 months.

[Oldsteel]

Got my letter on Friday, hopeful that we will see something in 4 weeks or so ... I did call the previous week so agree with James, keep on at them. Depending on how quickly they are catching up, be prepared for a 3-6 month wait.

[JamesP]

@oldsteel Paid yesterday, after my first phone call in January turn around time was 5 weeks.  I did call them on Tuesday about a rejected invoice due to an illegible vat number which I have now resupplied. They said they are now processing December.

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by JamesP

[Blooda]

Update

 

Got a letter today, saying the'd recevied our claim, and the will try to deal with it in 6 weeks, and of successful issue the refund within 4 weeks.

 

 

[Ian Phillips]

Submitted mine in October 2022, it was paid in February 2023.

Keep calling them! I was asked to write a hand written letter (which I did) and this sped up the process no end!

[Blooda]

On 25/02/2023 at 11:34, Blooda said:

Update

 

Got a letter today, saying the'd received our claim, and they will try to deal with it in 6 weeks, and of successful issue the refund within 4 weeks.

 

 

So today got our box of 4 lever arch files back from HRMC, with a letter saying they agreed with everything except one invoice, which was ironically receipt number 1, for tree removal, that shouldn't had been charged VAT on.   We did have a conversation at the time, Back in the summer of 2019!.  But we did not have the conditions fully discharged at the time, so he didn't want to upset the VAT man, and before I discovered here. 

 

So 

 

500 odd receipts:-

There were lots of Shop type receipts [Wickes / Screwfix even 1 B&M] Which I stapled to A4 paper.

I used my own numbering system, which I printed sequential numbers on small labels, and stuck them on each invoice.

I used my own Excel Sheet instead of theirs.

I had material invoices in the names of my tradesmen, which I had paid via credit card, due to them having accounts at suppliers and the not supplying direct to me.  This I explained in the covering letter, with the numbers of invoices, and explained that Credit card statements could be provided to verify if necessary.

I had invoices with the old home address on as they were delivered there, and again explained this in the covering letter.

I had lots of invoices that were printed off PDF's.

I had invoices with the word's copy water marked across them.

They accepted the internal blinds.

The invoice for the venting hob got through !  

The bit I was most worried about was the bulk buildings materials that had to come through my ground worker due to not having access to builders merchant.

 

I crossed things out of receipts that were not claimable.

I crossed delivery out if not applicable, and I remembered.

 

So all in all happy, they say it will paid by BACS in 10 days [watch this space].

 

 

 

  

[JohnMo]

My VAT claim was delivered to VAT office yesterday, so will see how long it takes to be processed. Only one A4 box file for me.

[Oldsteel]

Got mine paid in full 1st week in March, so that's just under 6 months. But judging by recent posts they are better staffed now. We were meticulous with our invoices, went through them 2-3 times before submission to ensure they met the criteria. Sadly, excluded about £2k's worth on this basis, we had tried to police this when buying but with the stress of the build its inevitable we would drop the ball on a few occasions. But, it was paid in full with no queries. Now, the only question for me is should I have waited until final BR sign-off, which was 5 months after occupation? We had a fair amount of expense over that period, so lost out on VAT reclaim monies. But we were paranoid about the 3-month window and whether they would insist it was from moving in date ..........

[Hilldes]

I got a letter this week from HMRC DIY team to confirm receipt of my claim- which was submitted 3.5 months ago. Said they will endeavour to process with 6 weeks.

[Blooda]

On 16/03/2023 at 14:43, Blooda said:

 they say it will paid by BACS in 10 days [watch this space].

  

Paid this morning Via BACS,

I can now chase up my landscaper to complete the bits of the drive and fencing, so he will send me a final bill. and maybe he will stop using our house as his stockyard

 

[ToughButterCup]

7 minutes ago, Blooda said:

Paid this morning ...

 

One of those TFFT moments. 

Our repayment disappeared pretty quickly: one of the reasons I can forgive Google Photos for those reminder messages of what happened 'on this day in [20..]  . Its so easy to forget the progress made.