VAT Registration
When do I need to register for VAT?
Kalina Kar
Last Update a year ago
If you taxable turnover will exceed £85k, you will have to register your business for VAT with HMRC. The taxable turnover is the value of everything that you sell, unless you sell products that are exempt from the VAT.
VAT registration certificate will be sent to you, once you have registered and it will confirm the following:
- VAT number
- your ‘effective date of registration’ - this date confirms from when you can start charging VAT
- date when to submit your first VAT Return and payment

While you wait for your VAT certificate to arrive, you cannot charge or show VAT on your invoices, however, you’ll still have to pay the VAT to HMRC for this period.
From your effective date of registration you must:
charge the right amount of VAT
keep VAT records and a VAT account
submit VAT Returns
pay any VAT due to HMRC