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Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Is it even possible to list your VAT number on a stealth store? Same goes for business address?

Open to suggestions. Have to register this week and it's proving to be a headache finding a resolution with my accountant.

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Nope there isn't.

You could open multiple companies, and get individual VAT numbers for each, making it a longer process to 'find' the owner of the company, but if you've been asked for your VAT number by eBay already and blocked from selling until you do, your VAT number will be checked when you input it.

If you input it before being asked, it may not get checked.

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Thank you, it's not been requested. Just going over things with the accountant and he's saying it will be necessary adding it and a business address to do it properly.

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Sadly, in the UK, doing it 'properly' isn't possible when having to run Stealths, but you can make it transparent enough for the HMRC and dirty enough to keep eBays eyes from seeing it..but its a difficult balance, and can prevent multiple accounts running under the same number,

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

For clarity, would that be 20 LTDs owned by one another all registered for VAT and the mothership will be docked somewhere in Seychelles? :sly:

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Well thats one way for sure ;)

Jacob Reese-Mong stylee

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Say I have 5 stores and need to register for VAT by Friday, how long would this take to set up? Serious question. ha ha

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Do you all pay VAT / TAX on stealth accounts?

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

You pay VAT if you exceed 85k turnover in the UK

Unless you are looking to just have a single stealth account where showing a VAT number won't really be possible due to the nature of stealth, why not spread the sales across multiple stealth accounts to avoid having to provide a VAT number to ebay ?

You will still pay VAT as all the sales from those accounts will eventually reach your business bank account. But you avoid the headache of having to show a VAT number on the ebay account itself. As long as HMRC are getting their money does it really matter if you show a VAT number on ebay ? Just provide a vat receipt to your customers should they ask for it.

All the big stores operating out of HK appear to be doing something similar ...

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

This is the solution that looks best. Been speaking to my accountant and a few other sellers, this appears to be the less stressful route. At least till I can begin migrating accounts to legitimate companies. Thanks for the input, thanks all. It's appreciated. I just want to get back to having fun building business strategy, accounting isn't my forte at all. Appreciate it's importance though.

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

But all of these HK do provide GB VAT numbers to keep there accounts legit wonder how they do that.

Re: Paying VAT on stealth accounts?
 

Which is exactly what I do and it works for me. All the sales are into the bank accounts and I have a automated feed from all the accounts going into my accountancy software so I know exactly the total of incoming/outgoing for VAT submissions. Not one of my stealth accounts has my VAT number except my real eBay account which isn’t stealth and always have had since around 2004.