A brief view of this relatively new and potentially beneficial area of VAT. What should and shouldn’t be included in order to qualify for VAT recovery.
Richard Southall, Strategic Tax Advisor, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
Salary sacrifice arrangements, while not a new concept, are increasingly being considered within the NHS. There are benefits and risks for NHS employers and employees choosing to proceed with a salary sacrifice arrangement. This session will explore exactly what defines a salary sacrifice arrangement and the relevant tax issues which need to be considered as part of the introduction of such schemes. As well as highlighting those areas where salary sacrifice has successfully been used by the NHS, the session also covers the key factors that are important in a successful arrangement. There is also an opportunity to consider the longer term requirements and compliance issues.
Richard Sharp, Financial Governance Consultant, Royal Surrey County Hospital FT and Richard Lodge, Harrison Lodge Consultancy Ltd
The NHS has been subject to penalties for PAYE errors for some time. However, the penalty regime for VAT is a new introduction this year and the penalty rules for both taxes have recently been thoroughly overhauled by HMRC. At a time of significant cost restraints, you want to be sure that you are dealing with these taxes correctly and doing all that you can to avoid errors and subsequent penalties.
This workshop will cover the following areas:
• An explanation of the penalty regime for both taxes
• Some of the common errors/issues identified by HMRC
• Recommendations on best practice to avoid errors
• An explanation of when errors need to be notified to HMRC
• Advice on how to reduce or completely avoid a penalty if you do make an error
• The current position on salary sacrifice from a direct tax and VAT position (in light of the Astra Zeneca judgement)
This session will help you to understand the risk areas and how you can implement robust procedures which will help you to avoid errors and any potential penalties.
Andrew Armitage, Managing Director and Sue White, Technical VAT Manager, Liaison