Turnover in the construction industry
According to the Companies Act, turnover is:
‘The amount derived from the provisions of goods or services within the company’s ordinary activities after deduction of trade discounts, VAT and other relevant taxes’.
In general terms, turnover is the total amount that a business bills to its clients, less any discounts, VAT, and so on. It includes amounts such as the shipping that is required, and any expenses that are billed to the client.
It is important to remember that turnover is determined when the goods and services are actually provided, rather than when they have been invoiced or when the cash has been received. As income from investments such as interest and dividend income is not derived from the provision of goods and services, these are not included in turnover.
Turnover determines when a business has to register to pay Value Added Tax (VAT). VAT is a tax added to the cost of certain goods and services. It is only accountable where the party raising an invoice is VAT registered. It is necessary to register if VAT-able turnover exceeds a minimum threshold in any 12-month period.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Accounting.
- Business plan.
- Business rates.
- Cash flow.
- Commercial management.
- Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR).
- Construction VAT.
- Final account.
- Goods and services.
- Invoice.
- Key performance indicators .
- Price.
- Profit.
- Relevant cost.
- Revenue.
- Solvency.
- Stamp duty.
- Supply.
- Taxation.
- Whole life costs.
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