Good Adwords VAT Refund??

[baldie]

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Evening all, Have just got home from a hard days graft to find a rather nice cheque sitting here (albeit to the wrong payee) from Google Adwords titled "Credit note - VAT overcharge 01/jan/2004 to 15/12/05".

I Vat registered in may 2005, so my question is who's money is this that I have just received, is it mine or the vat mans?

Thanks

[km8]

Evening all, Have just got home from a hard days graft to find a rather nice cheque sitting here (albeit to the wrong payee) from Google Adwords titled "Credit note - VAT overcharge 01/jan/2004 to 15/12/05".

I Vat registered in may 2005, so my question is who's money is this that I have just received, is it mine or the vat mans?

Thanks

It is the Google's at the moment but he's giving it to you. You can accept his offer by banking the cheque.

I'd guess he's doing that because he is an honest bloke and believes you should have it because he isn't entitled to it.

PS What do you mean by the wrong payee?
If it's payable to G. Baldie and you are G. Baldy, I'd assume it's meant for you.
If it's payable to Tony Blair and you are still G.Baldy, you really don't need to ask.

Help us out here - what exactly do you want to know?

[baldie]

OK, I have received a cheque from Google that totals all of the vat I have paid on adwords from 1st Jan 2004 to today. However I was VAT registered only this year, so my questions are :
1) should Google be paying me the VAT prior to me being VAT regeisted.
2) If so, is this money mine to spend or do I need to pay it straight to the VAT man?

Sorry if I'm being stupid or vague.

[AffManagement]

"so my question is who's money is this that I have just received, is it mine or the vat mans?"
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In your scenario neither cos its made to someone else, ie you said its made out to the wrong payee

Neil...

[djs]

Baldie makes it all sound very confusing to me. I also recieved a nice cheque a couple of weeks ago for the same reason. I looked at the amount realised that Google are such a big company that they would only return VAT money to me if it was the correct thing to do. I then ran down the bank and paid it into my account with a smile on my face. All seems straight forward now to me

[baldie]

Very funny, its made out to my web site name rather than company name (the details that are plastered all over my Adwords account that they have chose to ignore).

Okay, so forgetting who the cheque payee is.............?

[hpops]

Well I got mine and I'm, keeping it!

[AffManagement]

I Vat registered in may 2005, so my question is who's money is this that I have just received, is it mine or the vat mans?
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It is a confusing issue as other threads here would suggest, "my" understanding is you should work out how much vat you paid google between Jan 04 and your vat registration date [may 05], that figure would be yours from the refund.

from May05 to current, as you are vat registered i assume Google havent been charging any vat, so I think you have to delcare [SELF ASSESS] 17.5% [you havent paid to google] on all your google invoices to the vat man, this you should pay with the balance of the refund [considering it covers it]

[disclaimer] I,m no accountant far from it, so best to get some proffessional advice

Neil...

[km8]

OK, I have received a cheque from Google that totals all of the vat I have paid on adwords from 1st Jan 2004 to today. However I was VAT registered only this year, so my questions are :
1) should Google be paying me the VAT prior to me being VAT regeisted.
2) If so, is this money mine to spend or do I need to pay it straight to the VAT man?

OK, gotcha now.

Yes it's yours and, assuming you're not in Ireland and haven't already claimed a refund from the VAT man wherever you live, you can spend it.

All that assumes that your bank will accept the cheque - given that it's not made out to you.

[baldie]

Thnaks KM8, that sounds the likely scenario. Do you know why the VAT refund has happened? Have I missed a trick somewhere along the line?

[sticky]

yeah Baldie its yours - basically once your VAT registered you now longer pay VAT to Adwords bills so its basically a refund - as a matter of interest you can claim back any VAT on other purchases I think (dont quote me on it mate!) 18 months prior to being VAT registered

[baldie]

Thanks all and thank god I'm not an accountant.

Sticky, I've sent you a email...!

[bazza1603]

Hi,

I have got mine and aint spending it for 2 years just incase! I am sure some bugger will pop up and say you owe us x amount. I will live of the interest from it instead! (I wish)

Everytime my accountants rings the VAT people she get different answers..

Best Regards

Baz

[Bod]

I got a cheque for double what i was thinking i would get, although its still in the account, im going to save the overpayment to what i think is and keep it in the business savings accont for 12 months, then and only then will i think its mine

[AffManagement]

For those keeping your refunds in full, are you self assessing your vat as per the statement from the big G below? tia

If you provide us with a valid EU VAT number, Google does not add VAT to your costs and you can self-assess your VAT charges at your EU member country rate [ie 17.5%]

Neil...