Loxone and the VAT reclaim......a tale of woe and a warning to others

[Thorfun]

hopefully this will help others not do the same as me.......

 

I have completed our VAT reclaim and one of the invoices they asked for was for our Loxone system. Initially they rejected the Loxone system as it wasn't covered under the VAT reclaim scheme. I argued that it 100% classified as "allowable" under "Intelligent lighting as shown at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-and-services-you-can-claim-for-under-the-vat-diy-scheme#goods-and-services-g-to-i and without the system we wouldn't have any lights.

 

They responded with the fact that the invoice shows "intercom" and "stereo" means that the system is capable of audio which isn't allowed. even if the system isn't being used for those things.

 

So, long story short, buy the Loxone intercom, audio server and stereo extensions and anything else that wouldn't be covered separately so they're on different invoices and don't claim for them allowing you to claim for the other stuff.

 

this mistake cost us about £1k in VAT reclaim.

[Temp]

Can you appeal deducting the cost of the non allowable parts?

[Alan Ambrose]

Thanks, that sounds like hard-won info. Nothing like a few inflexible and capricious tax rules to screw everything up, huh?

[garrymartin]

Long shot, but could you possibly have argued that the "stereo" element, along with the lights and various sensors, forms part of an "alarm system" which is allowable? Can't help with the intercom though...

[Thorfun]

8 minutes ago, garrymartin said:

Long shot, but could you possibly have argued that the "stereo" element, along with the lights and various sensors, forms part of an "alarm system" which is allowable? Can't help with the intercom though...

I did exactly this! They still said no. 

[Thorfun]

8 hours ago, Temp said:

Can you appeal deducting the cost of the non allowable parts?

They were adamant that as the system is capable of audio the whole thing is not allowable. 

[Thorfun]

8 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Thanks, that sounds like hard-won info. Nothing like a few inflexible and capricious tax rules to screw everything up, huh?

Yeah. It’s crazy. Luckily I bought other Loxone equipment at other times and as they didn’t ask for those receipts they got repaid. 

[Johnnyire]

I hope it is ok to jump on this thread. I am intalling a loxone system and intend to use Nano2Relays for my blinds. There is a fed in from the board and looped to 3/4 blinds, so I will have the feed for each individual blind, a tree cable from the nearest RGBW spot, the blind motor cable itself and the Nano2Relay cable so 4 in total.

 

My query is how are you meant to install a fused spur for each blind when they are looped? I was going to just have a single gang box for my collections and a blank plate for future access. I am not sure if it is regulation that you need a fused spur for each blind? I was led to believe the way I have described is how partners would wire it if using Nano2Relays? Any help would be great thanks.

[jack]

16 hours ago, Johnnyire said:

I hope it is ok to jump on this thread.

 

You'll almost certainly get better and quicker answers if you start a new thread. A lot of people will see "VAT reclaim" in the title of this thread and not read any further.