Laptop allowance and buying second hand

[Aluroth]

Hey all,

I get a laptop allowance from my company, and thus I can claim my laptop costs back from Tax. Now I'm in the market for a new laptop and considered buying a 2nd hand laptop. Now the person doesn't have the original invoice for the laptop, but can supply me with a new invoice for the laptop (as claiming back from tax needs an invoice). He isn't VAT registered, thus the invoice will not state VAT paid. Will I still be able to claim depreciation back on the laptop even though VAT wasn't paid on the laptop?

Regards

 

[rambo919]

Depreciation is not linked to VAT, you will however not be able to apply depreciation AND write off equipment as a business expense (the actual sale of the laptop in a income/expense statement for example). It's one or the other otherwise you are attempting to claim two types of tax for the same thing. You can only claim VAT if the invoice is directly adressed to you, you cannot claim a 3rd party's VAT for them.... (VAT and depreciation are two different things btw).

 

[Aluroth]

Depreciation is not linked to VAT, you will however not be able to apply depreciation AND write off equipment as a business expense (the actual sale of the laptop in a income/expense statement for example). It's one or the other otherwise you are attempting to claim two types of tax for the same thing. You can only claim VAT if the invoice is directly adressed to you, you cannot claim a 3rd party's VAT for them.... (VAT and depreciation are two different things btw).

Cool, yeah sorry quite noob to these things. Will I be able to claim depreciation if he creates a new invoice and address the invoice to me (although without VAT)?

 

[rambo919]

Only a reseller that himself paid VAT can add the VAT, and you cannot resale a sale. A invoice is just a contract chaning ownership and does not always (as in this case) need VAT applied. The depreciation is just a calculation of about how much value the asset looses in a year which is then used as a business expense... it wil however be an expense for your employer though if he bought the asset and put it on the books in HIS name... it wont be an expense for an employee personally since only business activity gets taxed that way not personal income.

DO keep in mind that the invoice for second hand goods MUST reflect it's actual value with any previous depreciation already applied, you cannot for example buy a 5jr old laptop and artificially inflate it's value to near what it cost when new.