Quote:
You can't charge VAT on the fares within the district because you can't charge more than the fare on the meter. The VAT is INCLUDED in the fare for a VAT registered driver and must be accounted for in the usual way.
Does that mean the operator loses out by a small percentage, You'll get your VAT back on things you buy but that wont offset the VAT you lose off of the value of Metered price, Say the Meter was £12.00 you'd give £2.00 towards VAT and you only get £10.00 of it, yet you'll not can claim anything like that amount back on your purchases..
When I ran a minibus the Price of the fair was VAT zero rated if i recall correctly, but I could still claim VAT back on all purchases and fuel...but the chore of doing all those VAT returns was a blessed nuisance.
If the driver is self employed and is collecting the fares then unless the driver is VAT registered there is no VAT element in the fare. The driver then pays his money to the base op. Assuming that the base op is taking more money from ALL sources of income than the VAT threshold, then VAT has to be accounted for on ALL that income.