Tax on Purchases VAT Report Cash Basis

VAT report is based on purchase invoice and fx rate to show VAT in local currency report instead of being based on bank payments in local currency VAT incl. (spot fx rate).
This creates differences and problems for VAT return especially when fx fluctuation big and long payment terms between purchase invoice registration and payment.
Thanks for looking into it.

No one can look into anything based on what you have written so far. You need to provide a specific example of what you mean, with screen shots. Show Edit screens of transactions. It will probably be most helpful if you do this in a test company. Also, please be specific. For example, there is nothing in Manager called “VAT report.”

Hi Tut,

As requested.

Date # Description Contact Account Amount received Amount paid
03.07.xx 5,678.32 (payment according to bank statement in local currency incl. VAT)

Tax Transactions Cash basis
Tax Transactions Total Sales Tax on Sales Total Purchases Tax on Purchases
03/07/xx — Purchase Invoice — 5,585.58** 399.34 (same purchase invoice but based on fx rate in- Settings of posting date 12/06/xx)

Sorry, but what you posted is not at all what I requested. It is indecipherable.

Hi Tut

screenshots below (base currency Euro, Tax Transactions Cash Basis)

1 purchase invoice in $

(Attachment Purchase Invoice Test - A Test.pdf is missing)

(Attachment Payment - A Test.pdf is missing)

(Attachment Test - Tax Transactions - For the period from 25-05-2020 to 09-06-2020 - Cash basis.pdf is missing)

3 Tax transaction on cash basis should show tax on purchases of € 70.89 see payment pdf above but instead shows

Until recently it worked correctly.

Best regards
Federico

Why have you got tax on the payment?

Tax is already on the purchase invoice, you do not add it again in the payment

Also you have to show the edit screen images, not the view screen images

The pdf is very difficult to see properly - if you could use a differnet tool to upload the screen image that would be very helpfull

Hi Joe,

there are two different accounting methods for tax (in this case VAT):

a) accrual basis (when receiving the invoice)

b) cash basis (when paying the invoice) (VAT return is based on this method)

if the purchase invoice is in base currency the time difference is of no importance between receiving/registering the invoice and paying as there is no exchange rate to apply

but if the purchase invoice is in foreign currency the exchange rate fluctuation is of importance as VAT return is based on moment of payment of invoice and not registration.

Hope that helps.

Fair enough.

but it would still help to see the Edit screen images

Hi Joe,

Here part 1.

part 2

I still think you should not have the VAT code on the payment - the system will calculate the VAT
But I do not know enough about Vat on foreign invoices in different exchange rates on a cash basis to help any further

@Joe91 is correct. Apply your tax code only on the purchase invoice.

A big difference between accrual and cash basis reporting is when the sale is reported. Under accrual reporting, it appears on your profit and loss statement immediately. Under cash reporting, it appears after payment is made. But there are more subtle differences in the methods, also. You really cannot just switch back and forth by ticking a box. You also have to adjust when transactions are recorded to accurately reflect the principles of each type of accounting. This will especially be true using multiple currencies.

No, it should not 'cos you applied VAT on a payment and that’s wrong. The accounting entries would be:

Purchase:
Dr Purchases 1,000
Dr VAT 80
Cr Accounts Payable (Supplier) 1,080

Payment:
Dr Accounts Payable (Supplier) 1,080
Cr Bank account 1,080

The correct VAT amount is $ 80 / 1.091 = € 73.33 and that’s correctly mentioned in the Tax Transactions report.

BTW, to enter the exchange differences, create an account Exchange differences in the chart of accounts.

Thanks for your comments guys.

But tax settings (and VAT tax return) are on cash basis.

Therefore the tax reports **should only show cash related transactions (**which are in base currency and base for VAT return).

Until recent updates it worked perfectly well.
Similar issue after an update last year and after a discussions with “Lubos” it was solved.

This is not true. The report will show transactions involving invoices once they are paid. The accrual/cash selection affects timing. It is not an exclusionary filter.

Hi Tut,

FYI:

VAT Cash Accounting vs Accrual Accounting

Cash Accounting
With the cash accounting method you are calculating your VAT in accordance to when your invoices were actually paid, not when they are raised.
Conversely you can only reclaim VAT on purchases when the supplier invoice is paid.
Key point:

• Calculate VAT on the basis of when invoices are paid.

Accrual Accounting
Unlike cash accounting, with accrual accounting you must calculate your VAT on the basis of when the invoice was received (in the case of clients) or issued (in the case of suppliers).
Accrual accounting therefore is not concerned with when payments were received or made.
Key point:

• Calculate VAT on the basis of when invoices are issued and received.

@Federico, I do not know what source you are quoting in your most recent post. But it really does not matter. The quote outlines differences between accrual and cash basis accounting. Those are identical to what I have referred to previously.

However, you said, in post #8 above, that accrual basis was used when receiving an invoice and cash basis when paying an invoice. That is simply wrong. And your quote does not say that is what should be done.

A business uses accrual or cash basis accounting—one or the other—for both. You cannot switch back and forth between the two based on the type of transaction.

@Tut

in prior post explained concept of cash vs. accrual as you correctly mentioned there is a timing difference (shown in the sub ledgers payments & receipts = cash and accounts receivable and accounts payable = accrual).

The VAT tax REPORT (= usually a formal record or detailed statement) which elaborate a list of transactions according to the setting cash or accrual to determine the data necessary for your VAT return.

Cash based VAT tax report should take all VAT relevant transactions in the sub ledger payments & receipts

Accrual based VAT tax report should take all VAT relevant transactions in the sub accounts receivable and accounts payable.

This worked fine for financials 2018 and 2019.