VAT Planning

VAT is a transaction tax: once a deal is done, the treatment is usually fixed. Planned in advance, though, the same transactions can often carry materially less VAT cost. Our VAT planning team helps you structure operations, choose the right schemes and maximise recovery — always within the legislation and HMRC guidance.

When VAT Planning Adds Most Value

Around the £90,000 registration threshold, where timing and structure affect when you must register. Before property transactions, where option-to-tax and TOGC decisions are effectively permanent. On group reorganisations, where VAT grouping can remove VAT on intra-group charges. On international expansion, where flows determine registrations. And at scheme selection, where the right accounting scheme improves cash flow with no change to your business at all.

Our VAT Planning Services

- VAT Structure Planning: business and transaction structures that minimise irrecoverable VAT - VAT Scheme Selection: matching HMRC schemes to your cash flow and admin capacity - VAT Recovery Optimisation: attribution and partial exemption methods that lift recovery rates - VAT Timing Planning: invoice dates, tax points and return staggers that smooth cash flow - VAT Group Planning: grouping analysis for companies under common control - VAT Health Checks: a structured review that finds errors and opportunities before HMRC does

VAT Scheme Planning

- Standard VAT Accounting: invoice-based quarterly returns — the default position - Flat Rate Scheme: a fixed percentage of turnover by trade sector, simplifying admin for smaller businesses (though input VAT generally can't be reclaimed, so it isn't right for everyone) - Cash Accounting Scheme: pay VAT when customers pay you rather than on invoice — valuable protection if customers pay slowly - Annual Accounting Scheme: one return a year with instalment payments, cutting admin

We model each scheme against your actual numbers before recommending a change.

VAT Recovery Planning

- Input VAT Recovery reviews across expenses, overheads and capital spend - Partial Exemption Planning, including special method design and HMRC negotiation - Capital Goods Scheme management on property and other high-value assets - Pre-registration and post-deregistration VAT recovery advice

Integration with Other Services

VAT planning works best alongside our VAT returns service (so planning feeds straight into compliance), VAT registration services, and tax advisory services — because the best VAT answer must also work for corporation tax, SDLT and your commercial terms.

What You Get With Acumon

• Planning before transactions, when the VAT options are still open
• Scheme selection modelled on your actual numbers, not rules of thumb
• VAT group analysis for companies under common control
• Recovery reviews that routinely find missed input VAT
• VAT health checks that fix errors before HMRC visits
• Clear, actionable advice — always within the legislation

Why Acumon for VAT Planning?

• VAT schemes covered: Standard, Flat Rate, Cash Accounting and Annual Accounting
• Many of Acumon's VAT specialists previously worked for HMRC
• VAT planning integrated with the firm's returns, registration and tax advisory services

Get a Fixed-Fee Quote

Tell us what you need and we'll come back within one business day with a clear scope and a fixed price — no hourly-rate surprises. Call 020 8567 3451 or use the form and we'll be in touch.