Are you wondering whether you’re paying too much VAT on your property refurbishment? Or perhaps you’re planning a future property acquisition. Keep reading to find out how our team of tax advisors saved our latest client over one million pounds in VAT costs.

We’ll walk you through the process our client went through so that you see just how simple it was to achieve significant savings with our expert tax accountants’ guidance. 

The client’s property purchase

    Our client had recently purchased a high-value residential property in London for a purchase price of £8 million. Their plan was to refurbish the property before they moved in and made it their main residence. However, they soon faced a financial challenge, VAT costs on the refurbishment. 

    Here’s what they stood to pay out:

    Estimated refurbishment costs: £8 million

    Standard VAT rate: 20%

    Potential VAT bill: £1.6 million

    As a private individual, our client couldn’t reclaim this VAT. The prospect of paying an additional £1.6 million was understandably concerning.

    Their referral to Williamson & Croft and consultation

      The client engaged a project management company to oversee the refurbishment. As the project managers recognised the potential for tax savings, they reached out to us at Williamson & Croft for specialised VAT advice.

      During our consultation with the client, we asked some key questions about the property to ascertain whether there was potential for tax relief on the renovation. This included how long it had been empty.

      This led to a crucial discovery – that the property had been unoccupied for 3.5 years prior to purchase.

      Preparation of financial report 

        With this valuable information about the property’s vacancy period, our property accounting team at Williamson & Croft prepared a comprehensive report that included:

        • A detailed analysis of the property’s history and its eligibility for VAT relief
        • A line-by-line review of the planned expenditure for the refurbishment
        • Identification of which items qualified for the reduced VAT rate

        This meticulous approach ensured that no potential savings for the client were overlooked in our detailed analysis. 

        Outcome of the financial analysis 

          The key takeaway from our report was that as the property had been unoccupied for 3.5 years, it met the criteria for the reduced 5% VAT rate.

          Here’s what this discovery meant for our client:

          Original standard VAT cost (at 20%): £1.6 million

          Potential revised VAT cost (at 5%): £400,000

          Potential VAT saving: £1.2 million

          Our client was understandably delighted with this enormous cost saving on VAT. 

          We collaborated with the project management company in order to control the variables within the refurbishment carefully and ensure full compliance with all criteria for the reduced VAT rate. 

          Collaboration with the project management company

            Having already collaborated with the project management company to pull together detailed line-by-line expenditure, we continued this collaboration in an ongoing advisory capacity.

            We were able to give guidance on how to effectively structure the renovation to give maximum VAT savings and advise on the project to ensure that all parties understood the VAT implications of various aspects of the refurbishment. 

            This collaborative advisory service enabled the client to seamlessly achieve a renovated property with huge tax savings, minimal disruption to their renovation plans and peace of mind.

            Reach out for tax-efficient property projects

            Our seasoned team of accountants have a particular niche in property accounting. From helping block management companies manage service charge accounting to advising on VAT relief on creating new dwellings, we’re here for you.

            Simply get in touch with the team at Williamson & Croft for a consultation about how we can help.