Can I claim bad debt relief if I’m using a Margin scheme?
From 1 May 1997 bad debt relief can be claimed on supplies made under margin schemes, subject to a maximum of the VAT on the margin. If the debt is equal to or less than the profit margin, bad debt relief may be claimed on the VAT fraction of the debt. If the debt is greater than the profit margin, bad debt relief is limited to the VAT fraction of the profit margin since this is the amount of VAT that will have been paid to Customs. The notice to be sent to your customer following a claim, as detailed in paragraph 2.6, does not need to show a breakdown of the VAT for supplies made under a margin scheme. Paragraph 5.8 provides an example of the amount of bad debt relief that will be allowable for goods sold under a margin scheme.
