Insolvency practitioner's handbook

Find out what you need to account for and who to contact if you're an insolvency practitioner or official receiver dealing with HMRC.

• 1. Overview

  What this handbook covers, who should read it and its legal status.

• 2. Types of insolvency

  The different types of insolvency.

• 3. Notifying HMRC of insolvency

  How to notify HMRC of insolvency.

• 4. Claims

  How HMRC issue claims to insolvency practitioners, and how VAT penalties and interest apply.

• 5. Returns

  Your responsibilities when submitting returns.

• 6. Cancel your VAT registration

  How to cancel a VAT registration online or by post.

• 7. Post VAT registration cancellation

  How to claim post VAT registration cancellation input and output tax.

• 8. Dividends

  How to declare dividends and make payments.

• 9. Bankrupt continues to trade

  Your responsibilities when trading continues after bankruptcy.

• 10. Bad debt relief

  What bad debt relief is and how to claim it.

• 11. Cash accounting

  What cash accounting is and how it is affected by insolvency.

• 12. Credit notes

  Where to find guidance on credit notes.

• 13. Crown set-off

  How crown set-off and preferential debts work.

• 14. Taking control of goods or distraint

  How taking control of goods or distraint may be used to recover debt.

• 15. Partial exemption

  Actions to take if a business is registered for VAT and incurs input tax relating to exempt supplies.

• 16. Partnerships

  How HMRC deals with partnerships that become insolvent.

• 17. Law of Property Act

  How to account for and pay any VAT due when you sell property assets.

• 18. Transfer of a business as a going concern

  How transfer of a business as a going concern (TOGC) works, and how to apply.

• 19. Retention of insolvent trader’s records

  How long to keep records after insolvency.

• 20. VAT group registrations

  What a VAT group registration is and how it works.

• 21. Submission of VAT forms

  Where to send different types of VAT forms.

• 22. Funded pension schemes

  When VAT is deductible on costs incurred in winding up a company’s occupational pension scheme.

• 23. Unincorporated associations and clubs, and payment of Corporation Tax

  Steps to take when you're appointed to an unincorporated association or club.

• 24. PAYE

  Where to find information about insolvency for PAYE and Employment Protection Act (EPA) schemes.

• 25. Plastic Packaging Tax

  Find out how to tell HMRC about insolvency for Plastic Packaging Tax.

• 26. The Mid-sized Business temporary Customer Compliance Manager model

  The temporary Customer Compliance Manager team can provide temporary one-to-one compliance support to certain Mid-sized Business customers.

• 27. Climate Change Levy

  Find out how to tell HMRC about insolvency for Climate Change Levy.

• Help and feedback

  Get help from HMRC and give feedback about this handbook.