VAT Reclaim journey

[Benpointer]

18 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

The wife has just finished our vat claim

 

i will see your 161 invoices @Benpointer and raise you 1057 invoices 

anybody had a larger amount than this. 

 Jeepers, that's a lot of invoices!

 

We finally got an initial response from HMRC just over a month after the initial submission:

 

"You are not named on the planning permission. Please provide evidence such as your Building Agreement, Purchase Contract, handover documents, land transfer documentation etc; to show when you acquired the Property/Land."

 

This is because our planning consultant was sent the planning approval.  Anyway, we've now uploaded several further docs to show we own the plot, we're the actual planning applicant etc.  

 

So we wait another month, I guess...

 

 

[-rick-]

1 minute ago, Benpointer said:

"You are not named on the planning permission. Please provide evidence such as your Building Agreement, Purchase Contract, handover documents, land transfer documentation etc; to show when you acquired the Property/Land."

 

Ah joined up government! You'd have thought they would be plugged in to the land registry and could see if you are the registered owner there before writing that email. Costs everyone more time to deal with the email and response.

[Alan Ambrose]

Yeah, they didn’t bother to check Companies House when making Covid loans.

[Nickfromwales]

5 hours ago, -rick- said:

 

Ah joined up government! You'd have thought they would be plugged in to the land registry and could see if you are the registered owner there before writing that email. Costs everyone more time to deal with the email and response.

That would be sensible, ergo “not going to happen any time soon”…..  🤦‍♂️

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Yeah, they didn’t bother to check Companies House when making Covid loans.

£10k “grants” handed out like sweets. Ffs. 

[miike]

On 24/07/2026 at 16:47, Benpointer said:

 Jeepers, that's a lot of invoices!

 

We finally got an initial response from HMRC just over a month after the initial submission:

 

"You are not named on the planning permission. Please provide evidence such as your Building Agreement, Purchase Contract, handover documents, land transfer documentation etc; to show when you acquired the Property/Land."

 

This is because our planning consultant was sent the planning approval.  Anyway, we've now uploaded several further docs to show we own the plot, we're the actual planning applicant etc.  

 

So we wait another month, I guess...

 

 

 

I re-read the email and noticed that it only gives two options for sending documents - online via their website portal, or by post. And if they haven't got the docs in a month they'll reject the claim. 

 

I'd replied to the email with the documents attached to it, but realised they could technically ignore it and reject the claim after a month as I hadn't provided the documents via their listed methods. Just gone to the portal and uploaded the additional docs that way to be safe. 

[Benpointer]

On 28/07/2026 at 12:22, miike said:

 

I re-read the email and noticed that it only gives two options for sending documents - online via their website portal, or by post. And if they haven't got the docs in a month they'll reject the claim. 

 

I'd replied to the email with the documents attached to it, but realised they could technically ignore it and reject the claim after a month as I hadn't provided the documents via their listed methods. Just gone to the portal and uploaded the additional docs that way to be safe. 

 Checks... Yes I uploaded the documents via the portal. 

 

Given HMRC exists to serve* us all, why do they make it so bloody difficult to claim what is legally due with regard to self-build VAT?

 

(On other matters, income tax, IHT, I have always found HMRC staff very helpful.)

[miike]

On 30/07/2026 at 16:52, Benpointer said:

 Checks... Yes I uploaded the documents via the portal. 

 

Given HMRC exists to serve* us all, why do they make it so bloody difficult to claim what is legally due with regard to self-build VAT?

 

(On other matters, income tax, IHT, I have always found HMRC staff very helpful.)

 

Have you heard anything back from them? I'm at 2+ months since submission and haven't even been asked for copies of invoices yet. 

[Benpointer]

On 16/08/2026 at 20:21, miike said:

 

Have you heard anything back from them? I'm at 2+ months since submission and haven't even been asked for copies of invoices yet. 

Nothing yet.  Over two months for me now as well.  Going to call them tomorrow.  

 

According to Gemini:  Yes, you can chase your progress by calling the dedicated HMRC DIY and House Building VAT Enquiries Team on 0300 322 7073.

[Benpointer]

Update:  I called the HMRC DIY and House Building VAT Enquiries Team on 0300 322 7073.  20 minute wait then I managed to cut myself off! 😱 but called again and got straight through. 

 

Helpful guy explained that they are currently dealing with the 20th July claims and ours should be looked at this week, as we returned the additional information on 21st July.  

 

For us it looks like the process has been / is:  

• Submitted the online claim on 19 June.
• That got looked at on 21 July and they then asked for proof that the planning approval was really for us (the approval was addressed to our planning consultant).  Annoying.
• I submitted the additional evidence the same day (21 July).
• But we are then back in the processing queue and will not be looked at until this coming week (5 weeks).
• Assuming they accept that the planning was definitely for us, they should then ask for 10-15 invoices, according to the agent.
• Once they get those, if there are no issues they will approve the claim and pay within about 5 weeks (he said).
• If we are in financial difficulty we can ask for the claim to be prioritised (which I don't plan to do as we're not, and I don't like the idea of queuing jumping at the expense of others but if we were genuinely in difficulty it's a useful option to be aware of).

I'll keep you all posted.

[Benpointer]

Update:  I received an email today from HMRC requesting 10 invoices, the 9 largest plus, oddly, the 12 largest by VAT amount.

 

It's a bit tedious finding and uploading the pdfs requested, but that's all done now so fingers-crossed it all progresses smoothly from here.  5 weeks to wait if there arte no issues, apparently.

 

On the plus side, HMRC must be satisfied by our answer to their planning query.   Also, the helpful agent I spoke to yesterday was spot-on with his comment that our claim was about to be looked at (or else he pulled it from the list and got it looked at, if we're taking a cynical view!).

[miike]

On 25/08/2026 at 21:32, Benpointer said:

Update:  I received an email today from HMRC requesting 10 invoices, the 9 largest plus, oddly, the 12 largest by VAT amount.

 

It's a bit tedious finding and uploading the pdfs requested, but that's all done now so fingers-crossed it all progresses smoothly from here.  5 weeks to wait if there arte no issues, apparently.

 

On the plus side, HMRC must be satisfied by our answer to their planning query.   Also, the helpful agent I spoke to yesterday was spot-on with his comment that our claim was about to be looked at (or else he pulled it from the list and got it looked at, if we're taking a cynical view!).

 

Thanks for providing an update. Is that 31 invoices in total? I suspect your call helped move things along as I submitted the additional info a few days before you and haven't heard back. 

[Benpointer]

17 hours ago, miike said:

 

Thanks for providing an update. Is that 31 invoices in total? I suspect your call helped move things along as I submitted the additional info a few days before you and haven't heard back. 

 Ah sorry, no, my post was not very clear.  It's 10 invoices in total: the largest 9 by value and the 12th largest by value.  

 

When I spoke to the agent he said they were halfway through processing submissions from 20th July (our additional information was submitted on 21st July).  If your submission was before the 21st July, I would definitely give them a call.

[saveasteading]

23 minutes ago, Benpointer said:

largest 9 by value and the 12th largest by value.  

Leaves me wondering why the 10th and 11th are of no interest. Something very simple perhaps. 

[Benpointer]

4 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Leaves me wondering why the 10th and 11th are of no interest. Something very simple perhaps. 

It's bizarre.  The two which they skipped were for 3 Veluxes from Sydenhams and Celotx boards from Insulation Online (CMO Superstores) - no idea why they missed those out.  Especially as four of the invoices they did ask for are the deposit and balance for our floor tiles and deposit and balance for the timber cladding - you'd imaging if the balance invoice was valid the deposit invoice doesn't really need checking.  

 

Probably all selected by AI!

[miike]

I called today and they said they’re on stuff submitted 27th July. And once invoices are submitted, it’s back to the end of the queue, so another 5+ weeks. 

If they’re just selecting the largest invoices, or a few random ones, I don’t see why they couldn’t automatically request them after the initial submission, rather than dragging things out. 
 

Even at the previous request, just ask me for insurance docs and invoices at the same time, rather than separately. 

[Benpointer]

3 hours ago, miike said:

I called today and they said they’re on stuff submitted 27th July. And once invoices are submitted, it’s back to the end of the queue, so another 5+ weeks. 

If they’re just selecting the largest invoices, or a few random ones, I don’t see why they couldn’t automatically request them after the initial submission, rather than dragging things out. 
 

Even at the previous request, just ask me for insurance docs and invoices at the same time, rather than separately. 

Yes, totally agree.  It's painfully inefficient / deliberately slow (delete as appropriate).

[miike]

Just got my reply - apparently the description ‘building materials’ for some of the invoices that contained multiple items from builders merchants was too vague. So they want more detailed descriptions and now I’m back to the end of the queue again. 

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, miike said:

want more detailed descriptions

Do you know to what extent? it could be a long list.

 

This is really useful info for lots of us. Thanks for it.

[miike]

34 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Do you know to what extent? it could be a long list.

 

This is really useful info for lots of us. Thanks for it.

They just said ‘please update the descriptions with more detail’. And how much do you want to bet that if I provide exact details of every item, they won’t know how to categorise everything and then ask me to put items in more general categories…

[saveasteading]

37 minutes ago, miike said:

with more detail’.

 1. 1 length of skirting for the return to the left of the front door,

2.screws for skirting

3. mastic for skirting

..

99. 

 

What chance they say that's too much info?

 

Other people have done this so I hope they can advise.

[Bonner]

It may be they just don’t like building materials as it could apply to everything. My claim was only slightly more specific ie. plastering materials, electrical components, timber, decorating supplies. Where it was a mixed purchase, I picked the biggest value materials. That was 3 years ago so things might have changed.

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, Bonner said:

picked the biggest value materials

Eg timber, plasterboard and sundry other materials??