BIM31570 - Value Added Tax: interval between payment and recovery

The general rule is that VAT is chargeable on a taxable supply of goods or services at what is called the tax point. This will frequently be before the customer actually pays for the supply and may indeed be before the price is actually payable by the customer. VAT is normally payable not later than one month after the end of quarterly ’tax periods’ (which may or may not coincide with the trader’s accounting period). In most cases the VAT will be payable in the same accounting period as that in which the relevant sale falls to be credited. This may not always happen, however, particularly as regards certain hire purchase transactions.