VAT News

Beware: Overseas scammers want your VAT number!!

08.08.2017

Businesses across the UK are being targeted by scammers who are charging them to update companies VAT registration numbers online.  This is not a recent phenomenon and appears to be the same scam that has been doing the rounds since at least 2013. The source may be a publishing company in Germany which advises in its letters that as part of changes to EU legislation, which obligates all companies to provide their VAT registration numbers on ‘various’ documents since 2010, they as a company are required to update their database.

On receipt of the data requested, the UK business is advised that its details will be placed into a directory on a website and that the UK company must pay an invoice in advance in the amount of £797 plus VAT.  This is, of course, a scam but the letter looks official and all businesses should be clear that there is no requirement to provide your VAT number nor indeed any details.  If you receive such a letter our advice would be to place it in the nearest shredder!


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