My business is an agency that provides rented holiday accommodation to UK holiday-makers. My commissions are less than the VAT registration threshold, so I am not VAT registered. What contracts and invoices do I need to put in place to avoid charging VAT to either my clients (the landlords) or to the holiday-makers who rent the properties?
You want to stay under the VAT threshold, so you need to prove to the VATman that you are an agent working on behalf of the landlords, and are not a re-seller of holiday accommodation. You should have a written agreement with each of the landlords that clearly states that the landlord is the principal who is making a contract with the holiday-maker, and you are their agent. All invoices you issue should show your fees as separate items to the cost of the holiday accommodation. If the holiday-maker pays you for the use of the holiday-let, the bill they pay should clearly show the amount due to the landlord, and the amount due to you as the agent. Ideally, the two amounts would be shown on separate invoices.
