VAT, in plain English

Short version: blue lemons adds no VAT to anything, and experts look after their own. Here is the detail, for both sides of a call.

Is there VAT on the price I pay?

No. blue lemons is operated by Lemons Ltd, which is not VAT registered, so there is no VAT on the price of a call or on our 15% fee. The price you see on an expert's profile is the price you pay. Nothing is added at checkout.

I need a VAT invoice for my finance team

We cannot issue one, because there is no VAT to show. Your receipt lists the amount paid, the date, a booking reference and our company details (Lemons Ltd, company number 17355768). For most finance teams that receipt is all they need to expense an advisory call. If yours specifically requires a VAT invoice, the honest answer is that none applies here.

I'm an expert. What about my VAT?

You are responsible for your own. Your earnings from blue lemons are your income, and how VAT applies depends on your situation, not ours.

• Most people doing advisory calls will not come near the point where registration is compulsory. That threshold is £90,000 of taxable turnover in any rolling twelve months, across everything you do, not just blue lemons. Combined with other work some people are already there, but most are not.
• If you are not VAT registered, there is nothing to do. Your payout is simply income.
• If you are already VAT registered, perhaps through your own company, treat these earnings the way you treat your other fees and account for VAT through your own return. Your payout is not topped up for it, so factor that into the rate you set.

The one-line version

blue lemons adds no VAT. Experts handle their own. If you are near the threshold or already registered, it is a five-minute conversation with your accountant, and our tax basics guide covers the expert side in more depth.