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Posted Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:43:14 GMT by
Hi, I issue invoices for a business client from the UK in EUR. Recently, he pointed out to me that the VAT amount on invoices is not given in sterling but only in euro. Is this a big mistake? Should I correct all invoices and add information about the VAT amount in sterling? The accounting program used by my accounting automatically converts amounts from EUR to GBP at the current rate at the tax point. Thank you for answer in advance!
Posted Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:10:02 GMT by Jay Cooke
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-trader-records/vatrec5060 Your VAT invoices can be in any currency but you must show the VAT element in GBP. Your UK VAT return can only be submitted using values that are GBP, so if your invoices charge VAT in Euros, how do you convert that Euro VAT into GBP when you come to file your VAT return? The risk is you charge €100 plus €20 VAT and the customer pays you this amount , but when you come to file your VAT return at the end of the quarter, the exchange rate has changed and you pay to HMRC VAT in GBP of £18.50 If your customer is UK VAT registered , your invoice is invalid for VAT reclaim purposes, the customer cannot reclaim €20 VAT and if they convert the €20 you charged them back into GBP and they use a different exchange rate to what you used when you paid HMC £18.50 it could mean the customer reclaims £19.50 VAT from HMRC, you only paid HMRC £18.50 and HMC are out of pocket by £1 and HMRC will have an issue with this, this is why the rules require you to show a GBP equivalent somewhere on the invoice, to avoid any doubt with the customer and to ensure you pay over the right amount of VAT that you collected from the customer and not "lost" in exchange rates.
Posted Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:05:48 GMT by HMRC Admin 20 Response
Hi Edyta B,
If you are raising invocies in another currency, you do also need to show the sterling equivalent, following guidance in the following link -
VAT guide (VAT Notice 700) 16.4 Invoicing in a foreign currency
Thank you.

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