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New Invoice Changes

BazFitzpatrick
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Registered: ‎24-07-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

Sadly no one in authority in Plusnet reads this, just fews moderators paid to dish out platitudes and promote the company line. 

Thee is no upside for Plusnet only downside, obviously the tentacles of BT are creeping in, the first being "sod the Customer".

dvorak
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Re: New Invoice Changes


@BazFitzpatrick wrote:

Sadly no one in authority in Plusnet reads this, just fews moderators paid to dish out platitudes and promote the company line. 

 


Moderators are neither paid nor promote the company line, just here to ensure the smooth running of the forum.

Customer / Moderator
If it helped click the thumb
If it fixed it click 'This fixed my problem'
BazFitzpatrick
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Registered: ‎24-07-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

My apologies regarding pay, but it means that there is no official Plusnet representation on this forum. So even less likely Plusnet are even listening let alone actioning. 

Re "company line"  - I do not see on this thread anything but full support of Plusnet's stance from the other moderators who have contributed to this thread. What would you call this?

Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: New Invoice Changes

Hi Baz,

There are matters which Plusnet do not comment on - this is appearing to be one of them.  As one of the super users I (in fact all of us) have strenuously championed making residential invoices "valid" VAT invoices.  The matter remains where it is.

As for championing "the company line" I suggest that if you read carefully, what we have done is addressed the claims that there is a legal obligation to provide VAT invoices to persons not registered for VAT.  That is not so much championing the company line, but correcting inaccurate assertions.  If we want to argue legal obligations, then we need to be clear of the grounds for doing so.  From a legal perspective it would appear that there is zero obligation to issue a "valid" VAT invoice to a party not registered for VAT.  There might be grounds for objection in respect of a VAT receipt, but that would need a case raising with HMRC.

Personally I find the decision here incomprehensible.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

corringham
Seasoned Champion
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Registered: ‎25-09-2015

Re: New Invoice Changes

Hi Townman, I agree with the incomprehensible bit.

However there are a few more subtleties lurking:

  1. there is no legal obligation to provide a receipt for any transaction (VAT or otherwise) - I find this amazing, and most businesses would provide a receipt on request if not by default, but there is no compulsion to do so. I had to double check this as I didn't believe it! Plusnet don't issue receipts.
  2. although there is no requirement to provide VAT invoices to non-VAT registered customers, Plusnet do in fact do this - as long as the customer has a business account (and can get the bill section of the website to work for them!)
  3. VAT can be reclaimed by VAT registered businesses for items purchased by non-VAT registered agents - e.g. employees reclaiming expenses, or home-workers reclaiming broadband costs. (There may or may not be a taxable benefit, but that is nothing to do with Plusnet). However a VAT invoice is required in most cases (apart from some de minimis purchases), as although the law doesn't require businesses to issue VAT invoices HMRC expects them when reclaiming VAT. A nasty catch-22 for lots of people, of Plusnet's making.

 

BazFitzpatrick
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎24-07-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

Plusnet are being totally pigheaded about this (assuming they are even bothering to read this thread, which I somehow doubt given the lack of any 'official' response). They perceive Customer will switch to a more costly business account if they want a VAT invoice. But in reality they are p***ing Customer off who will in all probability take their business elsewhere. No doubt a few will convert but I would suggest more will leave. As I said in my post earlier today there is no upside for Plusnet it is all downside; gun-foot-shoot. This is systematic of big company attitudes to their Customers, for years they've provided VAT invoice to residential Customers without any problem, and now they are sticking two fingers up at them.

JonoH
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Registered: ‎29-09-2011

Re: New Invoice Changes


@BazFitzpatrick wrote:

Sadly no one in authority in Plusnet reads this, just fews moderators paid to dish out platitudes and promote the company line. 

Hi @BazFitzpatrick, Firstly I'd like to say that I totally understand your frustrations, however, these boards are monitored by plenty of people including our CIO and the product owners for numerous products, and whilst I can see your point, Plusnet has made the informed decision to not issue VAT invoices to residential customers.

Our moderating team are volunteers who donate their time for free to make sure that this is a safe place for customers to talk about a number of issues and to ensure that these boards represent the real voice of our customers.

Plusnet will never (without racism, threats or other serious breaches) moderate the posts and customer sentiment here, as long as you don't break the rules the moderation team will allow you to say whatever you like about Plusnet and the service that we provide. 

 


 

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
corringham
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Re: New Invoice Changes

@JonoH, is there ANY chance of anyone explaining what the background to the "informed decision" is?

 

 

mrhappy2
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Registered: ‎22-10-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

It may be they are doing the invoice without vat number as VAT REPORTING IS GOING REAL TIME eg once a vat invoice issued it maybe vat is due, if no vat number they may be able to delay payment of vat to gain advantage.I am not fully informed just someone I deal with told me larger businesses are having to do this.

Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: New Invoice Changes

There’s no “having to do this” - it’s a choice.

Regulations only require a VAT invoice between VAT registered parties. VAT becomes payable to HMRC when the invoice is raised or payment is received, which ever happens first.

Where one party is not VAT registered there are options - if proforma invoices are raised (rather than VAT invoices), VAT becomes not due until payment is received. Typically where payments are automated this will be 5-10 days after the proforma invoice was raised.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

BazFitzpatrick
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Registered: ‎24-07-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

It'ss nice to see Plusnet is consistent - NOT!

 

Just checking my Plusnet Mobile Phone Bill (which is a personal account) it includes their VAT number and shows how much and the rate of VAT charged i.e. exactly what is the minimum requirements of a VAt invoice. So I can legitimately this as an expense from my company and they can reclaim the VAT.

 

Can someone in Plusnet (preferably someone in authority) explain why it is OK for them to give a VAT invoice for my mobile phone but not for my broadband?

JonoH
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Re: New Invoice Changes


@BazFitzpatrick wrote:

 

Can someone in Plusnet (preferably someone in authority) explain why it is OK for them to give a VAT invoice for my mobile phone but not for my broadband?


Sure, we've made the decision after careful consideration at board level to not provide residential home telephone and broadband customers with VAT invoices since the implementation of our new billing engine.

Plusnet Mobile is billed separately, by a separate system and so currently, continues to get VAT invoices. 

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
corringham
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Re: New Invoice Changes

we've made the decision after careful consideration at board level to not provide residential home telephone and broadband customers with VAT invoices

@JonoH, because?

Are there plans to change the Mobile billing eventually too?

Oh, and is there any chance of getting an invoice/bill/receipt of any kind for my Business account? I paid the setup fee and first month's broadband to transfer from a residential account to a business account a month ago, and still no sign of any bill that I can put through my accounts. The ticket has been postponed twice so far.

CamdenGuy
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Registered: ‎17-11-2014

Re: New Invoice Changes

I have just got off the phone with HMRC regarding Plusnets refusal to issue VAT invoices.

 

What they said is that there is absolutely no problem is claiming the VAT back even if you don't have a VAT invoice. What is important is that you can provide evidence that you have been provided with a service and that  you have been changed VAT for that service.

The non-VAT invoice says that VAT has been charged on the calls and Plusnet is are large company (part of BT) who will be VAT registered. That will provide enough proof for any VAT inspector that you have been charged VAT which is all that matters when it comes to reclaiming it.

Their VAT Registration No. is 245719348 which you can write on the bill if you like but it is not necessary.

corringham
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Re: New Invoice Changes

You must have nice tax inspectors. It is quite a while since I had a VAT registered business, but they weren't that friendly then. Although I was involved in a large court case against them, so YMMV.