Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Lincs Robert]

I've been doing a bit of travel recently and using various web sites to book overnight stays.

They seem to be reluctant to provide VAT receipts, Expedia and Booking.com say that they don't charge vat as they are not U.K. Companies.

Any ideas?

Ta

[Doctor Gollum]

They should be able to provide receipts of VAT paid in their respective countries...*

Currently VAT paid in one member state, regardless of rate, is deemed to have been paid within the EU regardless of which state the purchaser resides in.

*Notwithstanding whether their services are rateable or that they actually pay it

[Lincs Robert]

They should be able to provide receipts of VAT paid in their respective countries...*

Currently VAT paid in one member state, regardless of rate, is deemed to have been paid within the EU regardless of which state the purchaser resides in.

*Notwithstanding whether their services are rateable or that they actually pay it

That's as maybe, but their SHOULD turns out to be a can't/won't!

[Doctor Gollum]

Offering to have a conversation with HMRC on their behalf might 'encourage' them

[Viral_Jim]

I suspect it may not be as straightforward as that.

You may not have a commercial relationship with the website, although they make it look like you do. In fact you may still have booked direct with the hotel, although through a webpage that has booking.com branding. The hotel then pays booking.com a fee for finding your booking and handling the payment.

I would ask the front desk at the hotel for an invoice. They should have one, consider if you were to use the minibar/restaurant while you were there. Booking.com would not handle that.

[STEMO]

I suspect it may not be as straightforward as that.

You may not have a commercial relationship with the website, although they make it look like you do. In fact you may still have booked direct with the hotel, although through a webpage that has booking.com branding. The hotel then pays booking.com a fee for finding your booking and handling the payment.

I would ask the front desk at the hotel for an invoice. They should have one, consider if you were to use the minibar/restaurant while you were there. Booking.com would not handle that.

Yes. This scenario has been causing headaches for people making section 75 claims on their credit card. CC providers are reluctant to pay out if payments were taken by a third party. The biggest ones that spring to mind are PayPal and Worldpay.
Be careful out there, folks.

[Rods2]

I suspect it may not be as straightforward as that.

You may not have a commercial relationship with the website, although they make it look like you do. In fact you may still have booked direct with the hotel, although through a webpage that has booking.com branding. The hotel then pays booking.com a fee for finding your booking and handling the payment.

I would ask the front desk at the hotel for an invoice. They should have one, consider if you were to use the minibar/restaurant while you were there. Booking.com would not handle that.

Correct, Booking.com etc. are just the booking agents paid by the hotel. You will need to get an invoice/receipt from the hotel. Always worth calling the hotel you are looking to book, if full or to get their direct rates, as booking agent full doesn't necessarily mean full and booking direct may be a cheaper rate as the hotel may add the booking fee to the rate advertised on the booking site or alternatively if the same it saves the hotel the booking fee so always worth reminding them of that and asking for a small 5-10% discount.