VBDR3300 | Making a claim: Maintaining a records of claims
From HM Revenue & Customs · VAT Bad Debt Relief
After making a claim all the records relating to the claim must be retained for 4 years from the date a claim is made. This requirement does not alter the standard requirement to retain records for six years. The records and/or documents to be retained for each claim are the following:
a “refund for bad debt account” as described in VBDR1500;
where the supplier was obliged to provide a VAT invoice: a copy of the invoice; or if the supplier was not required to issue a VAT invoice, then sufficient information to identify the time, nature, purchaser and value of the supply;
evidence of the prescribed accounting period in which it was accounted for and paid to us;
details of the amount claimed including payments received and the calculation of the outstanding amount;
evidence that the consideration, or unpaid part, has been written off as a bad debt;
for supplies made before 1 January 2003, a notification of claim.