Late receipts - period of input tax booking
April 26, 2013 | 25,00 EUR | answered by Michael Herrmann
Dear Madam or Sir,
I have a question regarding the basic correctness of the period in the input tax booking.
Some travel expense receipts or smaller invoices arrive even after the deadline for submitting the VAT return (despite an extension). I have so far booked the VAT in the next or the following VAT return period, as it is thus even a deferral of payment for the tax office and will be deducted in the corresponding following VAT return.
Ultimately, I did this because I did not want to carry out a correction for these small invoices or wait until the annual return.
Is this approach possible in the input tax booking, or should I consider the correct VAT period when booking? The VAT Act does not specify a period for the input tax deduction.
Thank you!
Best regards,
B.
Dear inquirer,
First of all, thank you for your inquiry, which I would like to answer based on the information provided and in the context of your commitment within an initial consultation. The response is based on the description of the situation. Missing or incorrect information about the actual circumstances can influence the legal outcome.
The input tax deduction must be made by the end of the pre-registration period in which the above conditions are first met, i.e. the service has been provided and an invoice has been issued.
That is the legal situation. In practice, such subsequent bookings are quite common. Unless you are currently undergoing a VAT special audit where specific pre-registrations are being verified, this practice is not objected to. You rightly notice that the tax authorities do not suffer any financial loss. It would be different when it comes to reporting VAT amounts.
I hope that this information has provided you with a sufficient overview of the situation within your commitment and this initial consultation, and I remain
Sincerely,
Michael Herrmann
Dipl. Finanzwirt (FH)
Tax advisor
