VAT receipts and what to keep
If you are VAT registered, the receipt is not just evidence — it is the support for a claim you are making. Missing details mean a claim you cannot defend.
What a valid VAT invoice needs
A full VAT invoice requires the supplier's name, address and VAT number, an invoice number, the date, a description, the net amount, the VAT rate and the VAT amount. Simplified invoices are allowed below a threshold but cannot be used for everything.
The VAT number is the field people drop
Extraction tools often skip the VAT number because it sits in a footer. Without it, the claim is weak. If your workflow does not capture it, add it — even as a manual field.
Retail receipts are different
A till receipt is not a VAT invoice. For small amounts many jurisdictions accept them, but above a threshold you need a proper invoice with VAT breakdown. Know your threshold; do not assume.
Reconciling VAT quarters
Sort your extracted table by VAT amount, sum it, and compare with what you claimed. Discrepancies are almost always a missing document or a duplicated one, not a maths error.
Common questions
Do I need the original paper?
Usually a clear copy is acceptable, but requirements differ. Keep the paper where practical.
Can OCR read the VAT number reliably?
It is one of the less reliable fields — long alphanumeric strings in small print. Verify those manually.
What if the supplier is not VAT registered?
Then there is no VAT to reclaim, and the receipt should not show any.