I know that many UK readers of this blog are interested in Value Added Tax (VAT) in relation to conversion projects. As we’ll be nearing the end of our own project over the next couple of months (fingers crossed), I thought a refresher on what the current policy is and what you need to do to make a claim was in order.

So here’s my brief & scrappy mbc summary of how to prepare for your VAT reclaim.

Read Notice 719.

Selected Highlights:

Non-residential building converters both professional and amateur can reclaim VAT on eligible goods and services, or in more words…

Developers can recover, through their VAT return, the VAT on their costs that relate to zero-rated or standard-rated sales. They cannot recover VAT that relates to exempt sales.

The Refund Scheme puts DIY builders and converters in a broadly similar position to a developer selling a zero-rated property, by refunding them the VAT on their main construction or conversion costs.

For conversions, you can also claim for the VAT on conversion services supplied to you.

Scope

If, [...] you are carrying out the conversion of a non-residential building [...] you can claim the VAT charged by your builder for converting the building.

Who does the work?

You need not carry out all, or any, of the work yourself. You can claim for eligible goods you buy and give to your builder to incorporate into the building (or its site) provided that the work is done before the date of completion.

Then skip to Section 7 and read 7.1 What is a non-residential conversion? to check the status of your conversion.

We’re then into the meat, What can we reclaim VAT on?

Starting with the exclusions:

• Fitted furniture, other than fitted kitchen furniture;
• Most electrical and gas appliances (Broadly you can claim for electrical appliances used for the purpose of heating, lighting, ventilation, security, hygiene, mobility or amplification in places of worship!);
• Carpets, underlay and carpet tiles;
• Garden ornaments, sheds and greenhouses;
• Plant, tools and equipment;
• Consumables such as sand paper, that are not actually incorporated in the building;
• Land.

So you can claim for building materials that are ordinarily incorporated into that type of building during the course of the conversion. Definitions of these terms following throughout section 8.

What VAT Rate should I be charged
I think I’ve already done this one to death on this site, but here we go again…

For conversions, a builder can sometimes charge VAT at the reduced rate of 5% or, if you are a housing association, at the zero rate.

Bear in mind that…

Claims must be made no more than three months after the construction or conversion is completed.
…
Normally [a building can be considered as completed when] it has been finished according to the original plans. In cases of doubt, a building can be regarded as still under construction up until the date when a certificate of completion is issued by the local planning authority.

That’s the background out of the way, assuming you’ve been keeping your receipts the next step is…

Complete the claim forms.

Either phone 0845 010 9000 and ask for a claim pack or download the forms from these links that I’ve generously provided:

VAT 431 part 1 Claim form VAT Refunds for DIY Builders
VAT 431 part 2A  Description of building and quantities of goods and materials used
VAT 431 part 2B Description of services for DIY conversions
VAT 431 part 3 Goods, materials and services claimed for which the invoices show VAT separately
VAT 431 part 3 continuation sheet
VAT 431 part 4 Goods, materials and services claimed for invoices not showing VAT separately
VAT 431 part 4 continuation sheet

I’ll keep you updated as my own claim progresses…

Made from pulped wood, wood fibreboard is potentially a local material for all. As such the challenges and costs (both financial and environmental) of transportation can be more easily managed than some alternatives.

Description
The pulped wood is held together to form boards, the adhesive used will influence the sustainability and environmental impact of the specific board. A resin adhesive is sometimes used to bind fibres, in some the natural lignin present among the fibres fulfils this role, or the fibres can be interwoven.

Features

• Non-toxic (usually) & non-irritating.
• Biodegradable.
• Renewable.
• Adaptable. Can be used between wooden studs or in construction, for example external boarding protected by a coat of render.
• Self-supporting. Wood fibreboard is rigid.

Performance
Wood external fibreboards at 250 kgs/m2 have a thermal conductivity or K value of 0.049 W/m.K.
(Watts per meter Kelvin ~ a lower value is a better result)

Cost
Approximately £30m2 – bear in mind that this is both a structural and insulating material.

References

http://www.natureproinsulation.co.uk/external_board.htm

We’ll be making a few changes to My Barn Conversion over the coming weeks. Hopefully they won’t cause any problems but if you notice anything strange around here don’t worry it’s not the Halloween effect, it’s just progress…

Made from straw, a practically global resource strawboard is potentially a local material for all. Best viewed as an insulating ecological alternative to chipboard rather than purely as an insulator.

Description
Strawboard is made from straw waste that is pressed and then exposed to heat. Heated straw sweats out resins which create a natural binder. Strawboard can be sawn and painted and treated as a building material as well as an insulator.

Features

• Biodegradable.
• Renewable.
• Low embodied energy.
• Locks in carbon.
• Fire resistant. Highly compressed strawboard panels do not bear enough oxygen to be flamable.
• Strong. Stramit strawboard panels will bear 1100kg without deforming.
• Unstable? Potentially unstable in humid environments.

Performance
Cork boards at 120 kgs/m2 have a thermal conductivity or K value of 0.081 W/m.K.
(Watts per meter Kelvin ~ a lower value is a better result)

Cost
Consider for use in conjunction with other insulation. 18mm strawboard costs around £10 a square meter.

References:

http://www.stramit-int.com/applications.html

http://www.stramit-int.com/properties.html

http://www.plantfibretechnology.com/default.aspx?pageID=5&contentID=61

You can’t beat a good list – this is the current position:

In Progress

• Flooring and tiling
  We’ve bought slate wall tiles for both bathrooms and will buy slate flooring shortly. We’ve selected oak flooring for the first floor and a nice champagne coloured sandstone for the ground floor – orders for both will be placed shortly. Photographs of all this coming soon.
• Internal doors (find some that we like).
  Still working on that one.
• Storage
  We’ve got a utility area in the kitchen and will install cupboards in the dressing area and second bedroom. Also hopefully we can install shelving on the landing and find some really neat storage solutions for various other nooks and crannies – continuing investigations!
• Lighting(find some that we like).
  We need ‘feature’ lighting for the gallery and dining area and LED’s to run alongside the stairs.
• AppliancesCooker, fridge-freezer, washing machine, multi fuel burner, TV.
  money, money, money
• FurnitureBeds, dining table and chairs, settee and chairs.
  Settee and chairs have been bought.
• Paint Internal and external
  Internal will be clay based and eco-gloss. External Test and finalise colour choice. Photographs of all this coming soon.

Done

• Ground or Air Source Heat Pump?
  Answer = Neither Hot water system inputs will be solar panels and multi fuel burner.
• Heating?. Under-floor heating / radiators ~ drawbacks, problems, source of hot water for radiators?
  Answer = UFH with radiators on first floor
• Openings through internal walls. Have we allowed for one to few?
  Answer = One opening. I’m pretty pleased with the one opening as it has allowed us to plan in a dressing area and thus create a main bedroom ‘suite’.
• Paint. Compare eco alternatives to branded products.
  We will use clay based paint.
• Guttering and down-pipes
  Aluminium gutters and downpipes installed.
• En-suite bathroom What shall we do with the 1 metre dressing area.
  The small dressing / storage area between the bedroom and en-suite seems to work – I’ll write more on this shortly.
• Bathroom suites and Kitchen
  All bought and will have been fully delivered by the end of this week.

Phase 2

Not sure if / when phase 2 will take place, but it will need a plan and that plan will include…

• Rain-water harvesting.
• Photovoltaics.
  Are they a credible, cost-effective technology yet?

Previous lists:
Attention to detail – November 2007
Attention to detail – April 2008