Writing for the repair trade
Practical writing on the parts of running a shop that are genuinely fiddly: VAT on second-hand devices, stock that matches the shelf, and paperwork that agrees with the money.
VAT on second hand goods: what a shop owes
VAT on second hand goods for UK shops: when the full price is taxed, when only the margin is, and the records that decide which. Sourced to gov.uk.
ReadMargin scheme VAT invoice: what it must show
A margin scheme VAT invoice shows the total and never the VAT. What goes on it, what must stay off it, and an example for a used phone. Sourced to gov.uk.
ReadHow to calculate margin scheme VAT: 4 examples
How to calculate margin scheme VAT, with four worked examples for used devices: a normal sale, a repaired unit, a loss and a VAT-paid purchase.
ReadIs there VAT on refurbished phones? (UK shops)
Is there VAT on refurbished phones? For a VAT-registered shop, yes: on the full price or only the margin, depending on how the phone was bought. Sourced.
ReadWhen does the margin scheme apply? A check
When does the margin scheme apply to a second-hand item? The conditions from gov.uk as a checklist a shop can run on each device before it sells.
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How to start a phone repair business in the UK
How to start a phone repair business in the UK: what to repair, where to trade, Companies House and HMRC, parts, pricing and first customers.
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“Where is my phone?” The call you can stop taking
The commonest question a repair shop is asked has the same answer every time, and a person has to find it first. It does not have to be a person.
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Ordering from a supplier who is already in the system
Every purchase order gets typed twice: once by you, once by them. Everything that goes wrong afterwards starts with that second typing.
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Your staff already carry a barcode scanner
The second till never gets a scanner, because a scanner is eighty pounds you have not spent. Everyone behind the counter is already holding one.
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Who is allowed to give a discount?
Most shops answer that question with trust. Trust is not a control, and the difference shows up in the month's margin, not on the day it happens.
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Counting stock without closing the shop
A stocktake fails for boring reasons: it takes a day you don't have, and the till keeps selling while you count. Both are solvable.
ReadVAT margin scheme for used devices: how it works
A SlickCell guide to the VAT margin scheme on used phones, laptops and consoles: one sixth of the margin, a worked example, the records needed.
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Why stock by IMEI or serial beats a quantity count
Tracking each handset as its own record changes what you can see, sell and trust on the shelf, and it is the only way per-item margin VAT ever adds up.
ReadPurchase orders, receiving, and the gap in between
Why booking stock in against the order you raised is what stops a short delivery quietly becoming your problem, and your loss.
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Bring us the job that always goes wrong
Thirty minutes on your own repair and stock workflow: the part-paid repair, the traded-in handset, the month that never balances.