Irish VAT Rates. Return of Trading Details. Tax and Accounting Services. Irish and EU VAT. Reverse Charge Mechanism

As you’re aware, the standard VAT rate was temporarily reduced, as one of the COVID measures, from 23% to 21% for the six month period between 1st September 2020 and 28th February 2021.  The standard rate of Irish VAT is due to return to the 23% rate with effect from 1st March 2021.  This is particularly important to remember for invoicing and when completing your Return of Trading Details.

Please be aware that the VAT rate reduction from 13.5% to 9% for certain goods and services, mainly within the tourism and hospitality sectors, will continue to apply until 31st December 2021.  Please follow link for more details:   https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-rates/what-are-vat-rates/second-reduced-rate-of-value-added-tax-vat.aspx

To prepare for the VAT rate change, there are a number of practical issues that taxpayers should consider as follows:

1. Update your Systems

2. Amend your Pricing structure if necessary.

3. Review and/or Revise your Contracts

4. Amend your Sales Invoices

5. Don’t forget the Reverse Charge Mechanism especially for invoices dated pre 28th February but in circumstances where they’re received after 1st March 2021.

6. Credit notes – If you initially raised an invoice charging 21% VAT but the customer requests a credit note after the VAT rate has changed i.e. after 1st March 2021, please be aware that you may be required to apply the 21% rate after the VAT rate has returned to 23%.

7. If your business pays VAT to Revenue on a monthly direct debit basis, you should check to see if you’re required to increase this amount after 1st March 2021.

8. Consider how to account for payments on account which are received in advance of the rate change.

9. Annual Return of Trading Details – Please be aware that the Annual Return of Trading Details deadline date has been extended from 23rd January to 10th March 2021 to take account of the rate change in 2020.

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Revised Entrepreneur Relief. Tax Exemptions. Sale of a Business. Tax Reliefs for Individuals

According to eBrief No. 030/21, Revenue’s Revised Entrepreneur Relief Manual (CGT) has been updated to reflect an amendment made to the relief under Section 597AA CTA 1997 by section 24 Finance Act 2020.  Revised Entrepreneur Relief is a relief from the standard Capital Gains Tax rate of 33% that would normally apply to the sale of a business.  It applies to individuals disposing of certain business assets.

The relief provides for a 10% rate of CGT to apply to chargeable gains arising on disposals or part disposals of “qualifying business assets” up to a lifetime limit of €1 million.

The term “chargeable business assets” includes:

• shares held by an individual in a trading company and
• assets owned by a sole trader and used for the purposes of his/her trade.

The term “chargeable business assets” excludes:

• shares, securities or other assets held as investments
• development land
• goodwill disposed of to a connected company
• assets which when disposed of would not give rise to a chargeable gain.
• assets owned personally, outside the company, even in circumstances where such assets are used by the company or
• shares or securities in a company where the individual remains connected with that company following the disposal.

The conditions include:

• the qualifying business assets must have been owned by the relevant individual for a continuous period of three years in the five years immediately prior to the disposal of those assets.  It is important to remember that periods of ownership by spouses cannot be aggregated for the purpose of the three year continuous ownership condition.  It should also be borne in mind that periods of ownership of assets before and after incorporation of a business cannot be aggregated for the purpose of the  three year continuous ownership condition.

• where a business is carried on by a company, individuals seeking to qualify for the relief must own not less than 5% of the shares in the qualifying company or 5% of the shares in a holding company of a qualifying group.  The requirement for an individual to have owned a holding of at least 5% of the ordinary share capital for a continuous period of three years in the five years immediately prior to the disposal has been amended by section 24 Finance Act 2020, so that the shares will qualify for relief if they were held for a continuous period of three years at any time prior to the disposal of those shares. 

• For the purposes of accuracy and completeness, a holding company means a company whose business consists wholly or mainly of the holding of shares of all companies which are its 51% subsidiaries and a qualifying group means a group where the business of each 51% subsidiary, other than a holding company, consists wholly or mainly of carrying on a qualifying business.
• The amendment in section 24 Finance Act 2020 applies to disposals of chargeable business assets made on or after 1st January 2021.

• The individual must have been a director or an employee of the qualifying company or companies in a qualifying group and is required to spend at least 50% of his or her time working for the company or companies in a managerial or technical role and has served in that capacity for a continuous period of three years in the five years immediately before the disposal of the chargeable business assets.

For further information, please click the link: https://www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/income-tax-capital-gains-tax-corporation-tax/part-19/19-06-02b.pdf

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.

Companies Registration Office (CRO). Company Secretarial Services. Annual Return Date (ARD). Filing Annual Returns

The Companies Registration Office (CRO) have announced that the 26^th February 2021 filing deadline has been extended to 28^th May 2021 for companies that have an Annual Return Date (ARD) on or after 30^th September 2020.

As you’re aware, an Annual Return Date (ARD) of a company is the latest date to which an annual return must be made up. The annual return must be filed with the Companies Registration Office within fifty six days from that date.

The reasons for this extension are:

1. the challenges caused by the new CORE system (i.e. adjusting to the new IT system) and
2. Level 5 restrictions

For daily updates from the Companies Registration Office, please click the following link: https://cro.ie/

For further information, please click: https://cro.ie/annual-return/filing-an-annual-return/

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.