❌ Difference #1
Misplacing or forgetting to send a purchase invoice
«I don't have it with me... I must have received it by e-mail,
but I can't find it anymore... »
It happens all the time, and yet it costs you money, even if it's not always immediately apparent.
Why it's important
When a purchase invoice is forgotten, we cannot recover the VAT, nor deduct the charge correctly.
Let's take a concrete example:
You buy a machine for €2,400 including VAT (i.e. €2,000 excluding VAT + €400 VAT).
- If you pass on the invoice: you can reclaim €400 in VAT the following month.
- If you forget: you deduct the €2,400 including VAT as an expense, but you don't get the VAT back, and you have to wait until you file the tax return (April/May of the following year) to get a limited tax benefit (equal to the amount of the corporation tax saving, i.e.: €400 x 15% = €60).
In plain English:
🔸 Tax savings: just 15 % (or €60 if you are at the reduced rate of corporation tax)
🔸 Recoverable VAT: €400 immediately, from the following month's return.
👉 Dry loss of €340... + immediate cash flow loss.
And if you are on a simplified or quarterly scheme, the time lag can last several months, putting an unnecessary strain on your cash flow.
What we recommend
📁 1. Centralise your bills as you go along
You can use a secure Google Drive shared folder.
It is organised, accessible 24 hours a day, and allows you to:
- drag and drop your invoices as soon as you receive them or take a photo of them,
- check what you have shared at any time,
- check whether a series is complete (e.g. 12 rents, 12 telephone bills, etc.).
📷 2. Get into the habit of scanning/transferring immediately
- One spend = one click = one deposit in the Drive
- No need to wait until the end of the month: the sooner it's done, the better it's handled.
🤝 3. Think as a team: the more responsive you are, the more we can save you money.
Our role is to save you time, money and peace of mind - but to do that, we need all the parts on time.
The expert's tip
A forgotten bill is not "just one charge less". .
This means unrecovered VAT, a cash flow penalty and a pointless effort.
➕ Bonus: filing your documents properly also makes you more credible in the event of an inspection.