Reverse charge VAT — what you need to know

• The reverse charge removes the obligation for sellers to register for VAT in the country where the supply is made.
• The reverse charge mechanism has helped to simplify VAT-reporting responsibilities for VAT-registered businesses in the EU.
• Businesses subject to the reverse charge must include additional information within the relevant invoice.

Within a VAT system, a VAT-registered supplier typically charges VAT on its goods or services. The supplier collects VAT from the customer and then remits it to the relevant tax authority. Under the reverse charge mechanism, this responsibility shifts from the supplier to the customer. When the reverse charge applies, the supplier issues an invoice without charging VAT but includes a mandatory reference indicating that the reverse charge applies. The customer then accounts for the VAT by declaring it on their VAT return as output tax (as if they had charged it themselves). If the customer has the right to deduct input tax, they may simultaneously reclaim the same amount, making the transaction VAT-neutral overall.

The reverse charge reduces or removes the obligation for sellers established outside a country to register for VAT in the country where the supply is made. If the supplier incurs any local VAT on costs related to the service or goods supplied under the reverse charge, they must reclaim it via the appropriate cross-border VAT refund procedure (such as the EU VAT Refund Directive or 13th Directive claim, depending on their location).

The reverse charge VAT system simplifies cross-border trade by removing the need for foreign suppliers to register for VAT locally, helps prevent fraud by stopping suppliers from collecting VAT they might not remit, and is usually cash-flow neutral since buyers declare and reclaim VAT in the same return. It also keeps compliance within the buyer’s local tax system and is often applied in high-risk sectors, making VAT collection more secure and efficient.

When the reverse charge is applied, the customer — the recipient of the goods or services — receives an invoice without VAT. When the customer prepares their VAT return, it calculates the VAT amount and reports it as due and deductible. The two entries cancel each other out from a cash payment perspective in the same return. Tax authorities can see the transaction reported in the specific boxes provided on VAT returns for cross-border or reverse charge supplies.

Standard VAT process
Normally, the seller charges VAT on a sale, collects it from the customer, and then pays it to the tax authority.

Reverse charge process
The seller issues an invoice without charging VAT. Instead, the buyer (if VAT-registered) must declare the VAT on the purchase in their VAT return as if they had charged it themselves and reclaim the VAT in the same return (if they are entitled to full recovery), so the net effect is usually neutral.

The reverse charge applies if the supplier is not established in the country where the VAT is due. It’s mandatory within the EU for certain intra-community supplies of goods or services.

It also applies to the supply of services to an EU VAT-registered business in another EU member state and has been compulsory since 2010. The supply of certain services, including those related to immovable property and live events, still operates under the VAT place of supply rules, and the place of supply is where the service takes place.

Reverse charge and the U.K.

The U.K. and EU reverse charge systems are similar in principle but differ in scope and application since the U.K. left the EU. In the EU, the reverse charge is mainly used for intra-EU business-to-business (B2B) supplies of goods and services, ensuring that cross-border transactions are VAT-neutral and suppliers don’t have to register in every member state. It is a harmonised rule under EU VAT law.

In the U.K., the reverse charge still applies to cross-border supplies of services from overseas suppliers to U.K. VAT-registered businesses, but EU suppliers are now treated the same as non-EU suppliers. In addition, the U.K. has introduced its own domestic reverse charge mechanisms in specific fraud-sensitive industries — most notably the domestic reverse charge for construction services, telecoms, and wholesale energy. These are U.K.-specific and separate from EU harmonised rules.

Businesses that supply goods or services subject to the reverse charge must include additional information within the invoice to make it clear that the reverse charge applies. This will also inform the customer that they are required to account for the VAT. A reverse charge invoice would typically include the following:

• Name of business
• Business address
• Business VAT number
• Buyer’s name and address
• Buyer’s VAT number
• Invoice issue date
• Date of supply
• Description of goods or services
• Net price of goods or services
• VAT rate applied to each good or service
• Subtotal excluding VAT
• Total amount of VAT (shown for information only — not charged by the supplier)
• Total payable (excluding VAT)
• Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deduction if applicable
• Total amount due
• A reference note to the reverse charge

The reverse charge also applies to domestic supplies, but it is not necessary for the supplier to be non-established in the relevant nation. The EU VAT Directive allowed the reverse charge on:

• Natural gas, electricity, heat and cooling
• Supplies involving the use and sale of immovable property
• The sale of investment gold
• Goods or services vulnerable to fraud, such as allowance for emissions of greenhouse gases, integrated smartphones, cereal, or raw metals

The reverse charge VAT mechanism shifts VAT reporting from the supplier to the customer, simplifying cross-border trade, reducing fraud, and keeping compliance within local tax systems. While usually VAT-neutral in practice, it places the responsibility for accurate reporting on the buyer, making proper invoicing and VAT return entries essential for compliance.

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