Virtual Event
Disbursements, Recharges & VAT
Get Tickets
Free – £95.00
Virtual Event
Disbursements, Recharges & VAT
Get Tickets
Free – £95.00
As an Org Plus Plan subscriber, you have unlimited access to the On Demand training library of pre-recorded training videos. You can watch these as many times as you like at your own leisure. Questions can be posed to trainers during and after the video, with responses being provided within 2 working days. Ensure you’re logged into your account to access.
For non-subscribers and all other plan subscribers, access can be purchased separately.
#1. You’re acting for a client whose place of belonging is Jersey. You have instructed a UK barrister on behalf of the client. The barrister has issued you with a VAT invoice addressed to your firm and has charged you £2,000 plus VAT.
When billed to the client, you would treat the cost as:
#2. A court fee has been paid from the business account, what VAT rate do you analyse the payment to when posting to the accounts system?
#3. You instruct a medical reporting agency to obtain copy-medico legal documents on behalf of a client that has been involved in a road traffic accident.
Is this cost a disbursement for VAT purposes or a recharge?
#4. Your firm is acting for a client in respect of a purchase of a residential property. The lawyer applies for an OS1 search direct from the Land Registry. The search result reveals that there has been alterations made to the register since the date the Official Copies were produced by way of a restriction. The lawyer advises the client on the results of the search.
When billed to the client, you would treat the cost as:
#5. Your firm is acting for a client. The case is a criminal matter. The fee earner instructs a specialist to produce video copies of CCTV footage where the action is slowed down, hard copies of individual frames and enhanced/enlarged sections of images are produced. The cost of this service is being passed on to the client.
When billed, the cost is a:
Disbursements, Recharges & VAT
Length: 1 Hour
Published September 24, 2022
Last Updated on May 1, 2023
Who is this training for?
This online workshop is for Solicitors, Lawyers, Accountants, Compliance Officers, COFA’s, Legal Accounts Professionals, Legal Cashiers and anyone that has any involvement in working in legal finance and compliance.
Purpose of this training?
The decision reached in Brabners v The Commissioners of HMRC caused a lot confusion within the legal profession, resulting in conflicting and incorrect guidance provided by reporting accountants and training providers. Some of that guidance stated that firms should take the ‘risk adverse’ approach by charging VAT on the cost of all searches irrespective of circumstances in which they were incurred. This is not the correct application of the VAT regulations.
This workshop focuses on the correct treatment of disbursements for VAT purposes and recharged overheads. The workshop will look at both HMRC’s and the SRA’s definition of disbursement and it will explore the VAT Act 1994, Notice 700, case law and address issues that have emerged from cases like the ‘Brabners’ decision and the implications of those decisions to law firms. Conundrums and scenarios will be posed and discussed throughout the session.
- Disbursement Definition (HMRC and SRA)
- Qualifying Payments
- Disbursement Accounting Methods (Agency and Principal)
- Medical Reports/Records
- Search Fees and Search Agencies
- VAT Invoices/Bills
- Counsel Fees
- Case Law
Practice notes and training sessions represent the Association of Legal Compliance & Accounts’ view of good practice in a particular area. They are not intended to be the only standard of good practice that firms can follow.
Practice notes and training sessions are not legal advice, and do not necessarily provide a defence to complaints of misconduct or poor service. While we have taken care to ensure that they are accurate, up to date and useful, we will not accept any legal liability in relation to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Online?
All ALCA online training is delivered live, interactive and is recorded. We bridge the gap between ‘face-to-face’ and online training by applying a blended approach. Questions can be posed to trainers throughout the workshops with quizzes/polls being used to engage with attendees.
Workshops can be continuously replayed for 60 days after broadcast.
Benefits?
- Reduced cost
- Can be taken anywhere on any device – no travel time or cost
- Shorter and more efficient than face-to-face
- Live and interactive
- Recorded and can be replayed at your leisure
Depending on your subscription and the length of the workshop, the pricing is as follows:
Our online workshops are delivered via Zoom. You can access the session via your computer, tablet or mobile device.
Details on how to join the online session will be provided the day before the training goes live.
We recommend you run a system test and check your internet speed by clicking HERE.
If your firm prevents you from using Zoom, please contact us.
There is no requirement to attend live but we advise that you do where you can as this will be the best experience for you. Don’t forget, you can pose questions live to the trainer and join in with the interaction when you attend live. Also, be mindful that you have access to the recording for 30 days, after which, it will no longer be available.
Not at all. We prefer it if candidates do as it makes the training more engaging but it is not mandatory to turn your camera or microphone on during the training session.
If you don’t have a microphone, you can still pose questions using the chat facility.
