VAT Granular Control

Introduction

This guide explains how UK-based Hosts can use VAT Granular Control to toggle VAT on or off for individual bookings. It’s designed to give Hosts more flexibility while staying compliant with VAT requirements.

If you’re a Host who needs to adjust VAT depending on the Customer or purpose of the booking, this article is for you.

When to Use This

Use this feature if:

• You need to remove VAT for certain Customers (e.g. charities or community groups)
• You want Customers to apply their own VAT-removal using a discount code
• You need full visibility and control over VAT per booking
• You’ve enabled VAT in your Host account but want flexibility on a case-by-case basis

What is VAT Granular Control?

VAT Granular Control is a setting that, once enabled in your Host preferences, allows you to manually remove VAT on a per booking basis.

By default, VAT per booking is always on -  but once Granular Control is enabled, VAT can be removed using two methods:

• ✅ Booking Toggle – as the Host, you can turn off VAT directly on the individual booking
• ✅ Discount Code – you can create a discount code that removes VAT when applied by the Customer at checkout

VAT, when removed, is excluded entirely from the receipt and applies to the entire booking.

How to Enable VAT Granular Control

1. Log in to your Host Dashboard
2. Go to Account Settings
3. Under Preferences, locate and enable VAT Granular Control
4. Save your changes – you’ll now see the VAT toggle available on individual bookings

💡 You must first have VAT enabled on your account before this setting becomes available.

How to Remove VAT

Option 1: Use the toggle on the booking (Host only)

1. Open a booking (casual or regular)
2. Locate the VAT toggle
3. Turn it off – the total amount will adjust automatically

🎯 Only Hosts can see and use this toggle - Customers won’t have access to it.

Option 2: Use a Discount Code

1. Go to Discount Code Settings
2. Create a new code (or edit an existing one)
3. Apply your normal discount (e.g. 10% off), or leave it at 0%
4. Toggle “Remove VAT” as part of the code
5. Save and share the code with your Customer

💬 When the code is applied at checkout, VAT will be removed and a line item will show this clearly.

FAQs

Q: What if I forget to remove VAT at the time of booking?
A: You can still update the booking after it’s been approved. Just edit the booking and toggle VAT off - the system will adjust the price and reissue the receipt.

Q: Does this work for both casual and regular bookings?
A: Yes! VAT Granular Control applies to all booking types, including regular invoiced bookings and casual upfront payments.

 

Q: If VAT is removed, does it still show on the receipt?
A: No - if VAT is toggled off, it’s completely excluded from the receipt.

 

Q: Can I remove VAT per booking without enabling Granular Control?
A: No - you must have VAT enabled and activate the VAT Granular Control preference to access the toggle or discount code features.

 

Q: Can I see which bookings have VAT removed?
A: Yes - visual icons will appear in the dashboard, and in exported reports, the Tax/VAT column will show $0 for those bookings.

 

Q: Can I stop Customers from using a VAT-removal discount code?
A: Yes - you’re in full control. Only share codes with those you trust. You can also disable codes at any time. And you’ll see if a code was used before you approve the booking.

 

Q: Will Customers know VAT was removed when using a discount code?
A: Yes - at checkout, a line item will clearly show that VAT was removed via the discount code.

 

Q: When do Customers see VAT removed - at checkout or later?
A: They’ll see it at checkout, before payment is completed.

Q: Can Regular Customers use the same discount code?
A: Yes, the same functionality applies for regular bookings. 

 

⚠️ Notes on Pending Bookings & Discount Codes

If a booking is pending and a Customer has applied a VAT-removal discount code:

• ❌ If you don’t want the code used, decline the booking
• ✅ You can also accept it, then remove the discount, but this increases the booking amount - and for casual bookings, the Customer may not have enough funds on their card.

 

Tips & Best Practices

💡 Discount codes can be used just to remove VAT, with 0% or $0 value - no discount needed.

💡 Hosts always maintain full control - Customers can’t remove VAT unless you’ve created a code that allows it.

💡 Safer to accidentally charge VAT (which Customers can claim back) than to skip charging VAT when it’s actually required.