Tax advantages - how do I get the VAT back?

Renting your new-build property can have tax advantages as it is possible to reclaim part, or all of the VAT on your purchase, giving a discount of up to 20%. To be eligible for this VAT discount you would be expected to rent your property professionally when you are not using it and you will need to show an overall profit over a period of 20 years.

You are permitted to claim back all the VAT - the full 20% - if you rent your property commercially and do not use it yourself. If you declare in advance that you will be using the property partly for your own private use then the amount of VAT you can reclaim depends on the ratio of personal use to rental use.

To reclaim the tax you will need to register for VAT, and in some cases pay the gross price and then claim the tax back. This usually takes two to three months and you will be appointed a tax advisor to help you with this. It is possible to obtain a bridging-loan for this if required, however in some of the property we sell this is not necessary as the developers will have pre-arranged everything for you so you will only need to pay the net price.