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13/03/2008, 16:19 DrAlanStatham Joined on 13/02/2008 Posts 9 Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? Hi, I run a small business via a French SARL, which is registered in France for VAT and I submit quarterly returns. Because all of my sales are to German companies that are also VAT registered, I never bill any output VAT, but my inputs have slowly built up to what is now an appreciable amount. Although I've declared the accumulating input VAT on each return, I've never been sent a cheque by the VAT people to refund the balance due to me. I've heard I need to write to them in order to request payment. Has anyone here got any experience of this? If so, would you be able to offer a standard wording that I could use to request payment? Thanks in advance for any help. DAS    Report

13/03/2008, 17:42 Iceni Joined on 23/08/2004 Lot 46 Posts 2,906 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? I haven't but I know a man who has. From memory he had to wait a long time (? 18 months) for his first refund because his was a new business and the VATman declined to send any money back until the first year's accounts had been submitted and possibly his taxes assessed. AND the refundable amount had to be  >500€ subsequently increased to >750€. Requesting payment is 1. a job for yr accountant 2. not really worth the effort as they will only refund your money when they are ready. Not what you wanted to hear ? John   Di Free resource site for new and aspiring Virtual Workers    Report

13/03/2008, 21:47 Bobc Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 353 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? Our business is set up as a SARL and my understanding is that it is a French legal requirement that a SARL must use an accountant to prepare end of year accounts, TVA returns, etc. Most of our work is invoiced at 5,5% TVA, whereas nearly all our purchases are at 19,6% TVA. As a result we receive refunds from the Impots which usually are several thousand Euros at a time. Our accountant completes our TVA return on a quarterly basis - the return for the last quarter of 2007 was due by the end of January and carried a large refund - this was transferred into our business account within 7 working days of the return due date. I understand that there is a special form that has to be completed by the accountant to request the refund and that this can only be transferred into your business bank account. For anyone in the Villeneuve-sur-Lot (47) area, I can thoroughly recommend Jean Plagnes at @com.enterprise www.acomaudit.com Regards Bob Clarke www.legrindouxproperties.com    Report

14/03/2008, 9:46 Hagar Joined on 28/10/2004 Posts 252 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund?  Bobc wrote: Our business is set up as a SARL and my understanding is that it is a French legal requirement that a SARL must use an accountant to prepare end of year accounts, TVA returns, etc. That is not the case. There is no legal requirement for a SARL to use an accountant. In most cases however it is strongly recommended. Going back to the OP - how you reclaim your VAT will depend on your fiscal regime. If your regime is "Réel Normal" then it can operate exactly like Bob describes . Submit a normal quarterly return showing a credit in your favour and you are reimbursed directly. The amount reimbursed must be greater than 760 euros. If "Réel Simplifié" then in most cases you can only demand reimbursement once a year using the declaration CA12. (you should also send a RIB with your demand). The amount reclaimed must be at least 150 euros. There are some special case exceptions (aren't there always!) concerning new companies. Most notably you can reclaim VAT on fixed assets purchased in the start-up quarter - again minimum760 euros. One to watch for is that the FISC will not reimburse you for the first year unless they are sure that the business is viable - you may be asked to show proof of this - This no doubt causes a delay in reimbursement and may have been the case in the example John gives. hope that helps Hagar      Report

14/03/2008, 11:50 Val_2 Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 3,055 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? Like Bob we also charge the lower rate and are forever in credit with the TVA. Once the end of year accounts are submitted and verified we then get our rebate usually about June for the previous year's TVA automatically paid into our accounts.We are not a SARL though which may take a different route. We even managed to get the TVA returned on our first ever french vehicle when we first registered and had not submitted any accounts as it was December.    Report

14/03/2008, 15:01 Hagar Joined on 28/10/2004 Posts 252 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? Val_2 - Do you do quarterly VAT retuns ? or just the annual one? rgds hagar    Report

14/03/2008, 15:11 Punch Joined on 23/08/2004 Mayenne (53) Posts 688 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? We do quarterly TVA returns and have similar experiences to Bob and Val2.  For the Regimes réel normal and mini réel the back bottom left hand side of the Cerfa TVA form n° 3310-K-CA3 has a "credit" box numbered 25, 26, and 27, where you can specify a credit de TVA and how much you actually want reimbursed. For instance last month we had a credit of around 2500 euros due, but on the Cerfa form we only asked for 2000 back thus keeping some in credit for next time when I know that I will probably have a deficit. To get a refund you have to attach form 3519 which is the "demande de remboursement de credits de taxes"      Report

15/03/2008, 14:34 Val_2 Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 3,055 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? I do quarterly returns which are always zero because we do most 5,5% works and then our accountant submits the special TVA return at the end of the year for all the sums.    Report

30/03/2008, 11:17 DrAlanStatham Joined on 13/02/2008 Posts 9 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? Excellent, thanks everyone. I'm under régime du réel normal - mini réel. Having just received my March quarter-end return, I'll send form 3519 with it and see what happens. I've managed to find a copy of form 3519 here: http://www.impots.gouv.fr/portal/dgi/ May take a while to fill out, but the amount of money is not small, so it'll be worth it. Will let you know how I get on. Thanks again. DAS    Report

24/04/2008, 14:53 DrAlanStatham Joined on 13/02/2008 Posts 9 Re: Anyone here registered for VAT and successfully got a refund? Just as a final postscript, I thought I'd share my goods news with everyone. I put the refund request (form 3519) in with my March VAT return and the cash was credited to my business bank account this morning!!! Living proof that the French Authorities aren't necessarily as bad as UK TV would have us believe and things can get done in France without the hassle of professional advisors. Mind you, one swallow does not a summer make.... Thankyou everyone for your help. DAS    Report

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