Tradesman Wont furnish me with His vat number have I the right to get it?

ronan45

I unwittingly employed a dodgy tradesman who on his web site states he is "fully registered and insured"
Wasnt happy with the work in any event and also his hostile behaviour on job completion. I gave him cash and he gave no receipt.
After i demanded an invoice/recipt he posted me a receipt slip

Just his name
Work done
Amount total

I specified I wanted his vat number via text and of course he never wrote it on the receipt.
He now wont answer my calls or texts and is ignoring me about his vat number
(Hope he isnt on social welfare and working too:eek:)
I want to report this cowboy so no-one else gets stung. Have i the right to get his vat number as a paying customer?
The details i have for him are as follows
Web Site Address
Company name
Mobile number
His name

mickdw

You gave him cash. Perhaps you drove down the price to a level where it was not possible to do the work 'all above board'. Its wrong but there is alot of this going on out there. Alot of people are employing guys for cash who are on welfare and are not making any kind of tax return because they will obviously be cheaper. Very hard for a compliant workman to compete on price. There are registered guys who will take cash jobs too - hard to blame them too if they are trying to compete with guys on full dole etc.
Its a bit late now to be looking for VAT receipt. You should have requested his insurances at the off then requested vat invoice before payment and then paid him by cheque etc. Why would you give cash to a guy who it seems you were never happy with? It seems like it was a cash deal from the off.

ronan45

mickdw wrote: »

You gave him cash. Perhaps you drove down the price to a level where it was not possible to do the work 'all above board'. Its wrong but there is alot of this going on out there. Alot of people are employing guys for cash who are on welfare and are not making any kind of tax return because they will obviously be cheaper. Very hard for a compliant workman to compete on price. There are registered guys who will take cash jobs too - hard to blame them too if they are trying to compete with guys on full dole etc.
Its a bit late now to be looking for VAT receipt. You should have requested his insurances at the off then requested vat invoice before payment and then paid him by cheque etc. Why would you give cash to a guy who it seems you were never happy with? It seems like it was a cash deal from the off.

I dont have a cheque book and never have lol! I have a Visa card and Debit card... thats it.... In fact not one of my mates has a cheque book. Hell I never even wrote a check in my life.
By the time i realised the damage done he had scarpered. Ah i think Ill leave him be so

Pandoras Twist

I wouldn't leave him be. He did shoddy work and purported to be registered when he wasn't.

Shane732

mickdw wrote: »

You gave him cash. Perhaps you drove down the price to a level where it was not possible to do the work 'all above board'. Its wrong but there is alot of this going on out there. Alot of people are employing guys for cash who are on welfare and are not making any kind of tax return because they will obviously be cheaper. Very hard for a compliant workman to compete on price. There are registered guys who will take cash jobs too - hard to blame them too if they are trying to compete with guys on full dole etc.
Its a bit late now to be looking for VAT receipt. You should have requested his insurances at the off then requested vat invoice before payment and then paid him by cheque etc. Why would you give cash to a guy who it seems you were never happy with? It seems like it was a cash deal from the off.

The information in this post is wrong.

Firstly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the OP paying in use cash form. So the question of why someone would pay using cash is irrelevant. The fact that the OP paid using cash does not change the OP's rights.

Secondly, the consolidation VAT Acts provides that it is the supplier who has an obliged the raise a valid VAT invoice for work completed. It is not the customer who should be looking for a VAT invoice as you state in your post.

Shane732

ronan45 wrote: »

I unwittingly employed a dodgy tradesman who on his web site states he is "fully registered and insured"
Wasnt happy with the work in any event and also his hostile behaviour on job completion. I gave him cash and he gave no receipt.
After i demanded an invoice/recipt he posted me a receipt slip

Just his name
Work done
Amount total

I specified I wanted his vat number via text and of course he never wrote it on the receipt.
He now wont answer my calls or texts and is ignoring me about his vat number
(Hope he isnt on social welfare and working too:eek:)
I want to report this cowboy so no-one else gets stung. Have i the right to get his vat number as a paying customer?
The details i have for him are as follows
Web Site Address
Company name
Mobile number
His name

You certainly have enough to go by there. You could quite easily report him. The real question is whether the Revenue Commissioners will bother their ass to do anything about it.

mickdw

Shane732 wrote: »

mickdw wrote: »

The information in this post is wrong.

Firstly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the OP paying in use cash form. So the question of why someone would pay using cash is irrelevant. The fact that the OP paid using cash does not change the OP's rights.

Secondly, the consolidation VAT Acts provides that it is the supplier who has an obliged the raise a valid VAT invoice for work completed. It is not the customer who should be looking for a VAT invoice as you state in your post.

Its all very well saying the info in my post is wrong. Obviously cash is legal tender and can be used to pay for stuff however in the real world where you are dealing with dodgy tradesmen, if you pay them in full in cash, it is rather naive to then think that the same dodgy tradesman has any worries about the vat acts and what his responsibility is.
The op could report him to revenue if enough info to identify him exists.
IMO mistakes were made by the op in using this person. There are also serious obligations on a homeowner who has work done at home in that they must ensure it is being undertaken in compliance with the health and safety regulations. The fact that no insurance details were sought would suggest that the op left themselves wide open.
Btw I'm not saying you should leave him be.

ronan45

Would a tradesman take a cheque in this day and age in any event??????
How else does one pay a tradesman. Ask him can you do a bank transfer or transfer by paypal on completion of job:cool:

kirb42

Hi, Ronan... just bear in mind, a sole treader earning under €37,500 in not obliged to register for VAT. therefore if he is not registered for VAT. he wouldn't include this in his price...while he says that he is fully registered and insured, this may be the case, hope the information helps...

brian_m

As stated above, the builder may not actually be VAT registered or required to be due to his turnover level, therefore there would be no VAT element in what he is charging you. By him stating he is registered he may simply be implying that he is registered with Homebond/RECI or for Income tax etc. Its sounds like you are not in a position to claim an input credit for VAT anyway so its a non issue really. If you are unhappy with his work that is a separate problem. It does sound though that the receipt/invoice he gave you is very basic. There are Revenue guidelines on exactly what details should be provided on an invoice regardless of whether the tradesman is required to be VAT registered.

Tony Soprano.

I have a similar issue with a TV installer. Is the installer legally obliged to give a VAT receipt, or do you have to request it?

Taken from the VAT acts:

3.2 It should be noted that an accountable person is required, if requested in writing, to issue a VAT invoice in respect of a transaction with an unregistered person in the State who is entitled to a repayment of the VAT. An accountable person is not required to issue a VAT invoice to an unregistered person otherwise, but may do so if he or she so wishes.

But maybe there is a legal requirement to issue a receipt?