Vat

falteringstar

Im buying the Macbook Pro..... but I dont wanna spend alot of money. So my question is how does one go about claiming back the vat when they buy from apple? Also Im a student, so I obviously want to get the student discount too.

When you add a product to the basket online in the business store it asks for a VAT Regisration number, but it does not ask for it in the student store.

So is it possible to buy in the student store to get the student discount and then use the receipt/invoice to claim back the VAT on that?

babypink

in short....no

avoiding VAT is a bold thing to do....to do it you'd need to find someone who owns a company or is registered for VAT, and see if they'd be willing to buy it through the company for you, technically it'd be their property and should be used for company business. They can write the VAT off against VAT they have paid(but they really shouldn't).

The education store is saving you 8%...not bad! If its €€ you're concerned about, buy the MacBook....precious difference apart from HD, graphics card and slightly faster process...ok screen too! You'll get the 2Ghz MB with 1Gb RAM for a little over €1100...bargain!!!

To answer your question eventually....its either claim VAT (i'm not condoning this....) or buy from the education store

DublinWriter

falteringstar wrote:

So is it possible to buy in the student store to get the student discount and then use the receipt/invoice to claim back the VAT on that?

Sure. Just start your own limited company, or become a sole-trader, apply for a VAT number, have Revenue visit you for their customary vetting chat, then away you go.

Oh, you'll also have to open a business bank account, file accounts to the CRO every year, submit monthly PAYE/PRSI statements and two-montly VAT statements to the Revenue Commissioners.

Cal

Sorry to go OT.

babypink wrote:

total VAT written off can't exceed VAT paid to Revenue.

Yes they can. VAT repayments can be paid into your bank.

Cal.

babypink

...edit: sorry all.......having an off night tonight, thesis melting my head... best save face here


back on topic however..... Go with the education store....far easier

Cal

Yes you can. If you claim back more VAT than you are paying in then the difference is lodged into your company account by the Collector General. I guess you've not filled out too many VAT3 forms.

Cal.

DublinWriter

babypink wrote:

Cal, call the VAT levied by the company/sole-trader the INPUT VAT, and the VAT written off/paid by the company the OUTPUT VAT. If the INPUT VAT exceeds the OUTPUT VAT then that difference may be recovered. You can't get into negative territory with VAT.

Pure BS. I'm running my own VAT registered Ltd. company for the past ten years.

If I purchase more than I trade in a particular two-month VAT period, then I can claim for a repayment from Revenue.

babypink

as the edit says.... having an off night tonight i'm afraid...head's a bit melted... not gonna sully my good record on this board any more than i already have

apologies!!

b

mikemac

That's brilliant, I never knew

So I can claim back 8% as I've a valid student card
And then since my father is self-employed and is registered for VAT, I can lodge a claim for the VAT.

Just trying to figure out how I'd claim for both.
Whose name do I make the purchase in(mine or my father)

Not advocating tax fraud here, anyone else would do the same in this situation.

Gillo

micmclo wrote:

So I can claim back 8% as I've a valid student card
And then since my father is self-employed and is registered for VAT, I can lodge a claim for the VAT.

Just trying to figure out how I'd claim for both.
Whose name do I make the purchase in(mine or my father)

Not advocating tax fraud here, anyone else would do the same in this situation.

Eh, yes you are advocating tax fraud and not everyone else would do the same in this situation.

The way I see it, if you go through the student store you buy under your name, if you want your father to claim the vat back you go through the business store. You can't do both.

If you don't want to spend much, buy a Mac Book.

mikemac

Fair enough Gillo, was just wondering

I've read so many posts in this forum about how people buying products in the US and trying to dodge customs duty. Is this not fraud also?

Let's not let this thread go downhill anyway

PDD

Its not tax fraud if the laptop is bought by his Father for company purposes is it? :-) Me personaly I dont feel like paying for TD's junkets to foreign contries or electronic voting machines that were bought by some gob****e coz of a brown evenelope.

To the best of my knowledge VAT can only be claimed back at the end of the year so when you buy something you pay full whack and then claim it back in the accounts/books for the company etc.

DublinWriter

PDD wrote:

To the best of my knowledge VAT can only be claimed back at the end of the year so when you buy something you pay full whack and then claim it back in the accounts/books for the company etc.

No, you pay/claim your VAT every two months.

tonyboy247

when you buy through the apple store as a student you can get what they call education discount thats it period... your not a business vat in/out does not apply to you.. The store is international online and askes business customers vat details as some would not pay vat if they posess a clearence certificate anyway your not in that area so just be happy with any discount you may get and leave alone as you would be breaking the law otherwise. If you are busting to save a few shillings a refurbished unit is another option. If your not sure what thay are ask me and ill give you the angle.

SolarNexus

if you have a disability, you can get vat off.

do a search for "VAT 61a". no other realistic option, really.

ButtermilkJack

As far as I was aware, you can only write off a computer over a few years for VAT purposes. It's not as simple as claiming it through your VAT3 In/Out for the specific two-month period in which you purchase it (as a business customer).

I thought it needs to be put through the year-end books? Can anyone clarify this? Maybe I'm wrong.

DublinWriter

ButtermilkJack wrote:

As far as I was aware, you can only write off a computer over a few years for VAT purposes. It's not as simple as claiming it through your VAT3 In/Out for the specific two-month period in which you purchase it (as a business customer).

I thought it needs to be put through the year-end books? Can anyone clarify this? Maybe I'm wrong.

Depreciation is a seperate concept from VAT.

You buy your computer and claim VAT back within the usual two-monthly VAT cycle.

*THEN* you can use straight-line depreciation over a 5 year period to offset the loss of value against your companies tax liability when you submit your yearly company accounts.

Comprendè?

ButtermilkJack

Ah, I think so. That makes sense. I bought my last laptop from the UK ex-vat so I didn't have any VAT dealings. I'm going to buy a MacBook from the online Apple Store so I will have to claim for it on VAT3.

Good stuff, thanks.

Thumper Long

once you have your receipt from the online store including education discount you can then submit it through the company accounts no problem. we pay enough vat and stealth taxes so if you can get away without paying Vat then go for it.

DublinWriter

Thumper Long wrote:

once you have your receipt from the online store including education discount you can then submit it through the company accounts no problem. we pay enough vat and stealth taxes so if you can get away without paying Vat then go for it.

The problem with that is you'll need to have the shop make you out a VAT invoice addressed to the company. They may not want to do this if they are also providing a student discount.

Secondly, if you are buying in the UK and provide a valid Irish VAT number, then you should not be charged VAT at source.