Brexit Update – Belgium will require UK Companies to appoint a Fiscal Agent

If your UK business has already had to put in place a Belgium VAT registration, perhaps arising from stock that you hold there already to sell on the Belgium markets, then you’ve probably been reasonably happy to complete and submit your Belgium VAT return yourself from the UK. However the tax authority there has announced that any UK companies that are VAT registered in Belgium and do not already have a Fiscal Agent appointed to submit the VAT returns on their behalf, need to appoint such a representative by the 1^st January 2021. There is some good news though as whilst the tax authorities state the 1^st January they are allowing a UK business until the end of June 2021 to have a representative in place.

Appointing a Fiscal Representative does not come without costs unfortunately, as not just will there be fees for submitting the VAT returns but they will also require from you a cash deposit or a bank guarantee to cover the liability of the returns being submitted. This is because, as your representative in country, they can be held jointly and severally liable for their clients VAT commitments.

Checking which countries across the European community will, from January 2021, require a UK Company to put in place a Fiscal Agent, is an important part of getting yourself ready for Brexit from the VAT perspective. It’s a part of our “Brexit Ready” support offering that Centurion can provide to your business to make sure, as the 31^st December 2020 approaches, you are not left concerned as to what you should already have got in place.

If, on reading this, you think you’re not sure where to start on VAT & Brexit planning can we suggest it’s with a call to us on 01633 415390 or emailus@centurionvat.com There is information to share but there’s also more to come, so it’s important to get started if you’ve not already. No reason to feel isolated on this one – our tailored Brexit Ready Review format will get you up to speed and focussing on what your business needs to do, all with people who can help. Centurion VAT – we’re here for when VAT gets complicated.

For the avoidance of doubt, the content recorded in this news article does not constitute formal advice and we do not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided at the time of reading. It is always recommended that you seek professional advice before acting on any of the news articles or information included.