91

Equipment / Re: Voluntary VAT Registration Advice

« Last post by ZacB on August 20, 2025, 06:22:49 am »

Another little anomaly - vat is applicable with honey bees if you were selling a hive of bees I believe. All to do with the packaging your selling them in, a corex poly nuc with bees no issues.


As for the voluntary registration, no issues with that at all. Helps if you can do your own basic bookkeeping as quarterly returns (other terms are available I think) are required. A added hassle is now having to submit your return through a third party but we use Vatify which is still free to use.
If you’ve spent out on machinery then well worth it, 20% refund on Vat can amount to a fair chunk.


As Womble said though - as long as your end product is vat free.

92

Land Management / Re: Thistle management with herbicide

« Last post by SallyintNorth on August 20, 2025, 05:05:21 am »

Also be aware, if you are using Grazon or similar on mowing land, or grazing land for horses and you poo pick, that the broadleaf plant killers in it are mega persistent.  They will survive haymaking, silaging, digestion and composting, and if any rotted FYM or other material ends up in your veg plot will kill - or at least stunt - all the broadleaved plants you are trying to feed. 

Cattle farmer I knew had given up trying to grow turnips after repeated failed crops until we fathomed out he Grazoned his most thistley mowing field, fed the silage he made to the cows, spread the muck back on the turnip field...

93

Land Management / Re: Draining Flat Land

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 10:50:44 pm »

The very old stone drains and the old clay tile drains, are very effective on my gley / clay soil

They knew what they doing.

In fact they are too effective if you are creating  ponds, proving very difficult to severe and block.

With a large area, I would be inclined to dig a pond / seasonal pond, fed by some open ditches.  Or covered perforated pipe, french drain style.

Based on this summer, we should try and attenuate it as much as possible on the land
.

94

Fruit / Re: Recommended Cherry Trees Aberdeenshire

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 10:44:17 pm »

Sorry for late reply. Been somewhat overwhelmed with work.

Orchard project went from basic Mowing  to moving 250 tonnes of earth ...

95

Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by Rupert the bear on August 19, 2025, 09:51:18 pm »

Well all our swallows have departed, gone its all quiet. two weeks earlier than last year, it seems to get sooner every year.
But the pair of cranes that nested and brought up two offspring down on the edge of the hay field by the burn, have been active in the mornings picking away at the aftermath, its quite striking to see the adults standing next to a 4ft round bale they are as tall as the bale. Its like Jurassic park when they fly about and call out, looking like wee  pterosaurs. Its a great sight looking out from my bed a six in the morning !

96

Equipment / Re: Voluntary VAT Registration Advice

« Last post by Womble on August 19, 2025, 05:56:19 pm »

Yes.

Any accountant worth their salt will be able to help you with this. It's not too difficult, and gives us a refund of a hundred or so pounds a month.

The key thing to understand is whether any of the things you're going to be selling will be VAT-rated, because that will in effect increase the prices customers have to pay by 20%. However, if you're selling food, that won't apply (because 0% rated).

There are some funny wee anomalies though. For example, honey bees are 0% rated for VAT, whereas if you're selling bumblebees,  you'd have to charge 20% VAT on them. [IDK who sells bumblebees, but seemingly somebody must, or it wouldn't be a rule.]

97

Equipment / Voluntary VAT Registration Advice

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 05:53:40 pm »

Hello Folks,

I have a registered smallholding.

I would like to start a very small business selling bits n bobs from around the place, with a view in the future to selling fruit from orchards and a polytunnel perhaps. A retired business generating a small turnover from products supplied by the smallholding.

Having spend large amounts of cash on equipment over the last 30 months, a work colleague suggested investigated looking at voluntary VAT registration

My focus has been on improving the environment for wildlife and amenity value, but I need to be a bit more switched on financially.

Are there any forum members who have gone down this route and can advise ?

Many thanks

98

Land Management / Re: Strange field drains

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 05:45:09 pm »

Have you looked on Google earth ?

I can see stone field drains and also clay field drains on there.

99

Land Management / Re: Thistle management with herbicide

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 05:43:17 pm »

My limited understanding is that you do not need the training certificates to buy the nuclear strength products, but you are supposed to have them too apply the product.

The chrmicals should be avoided at all costs really, but sometimes it just has to be done. 

I apply as little possible and extremely cautious near my ponds / burn / ditch.

We literally have 100,000s of amphibians because of the pond network. They are very sensitive to pollution, as are my trout

100

Land Management / Re: Thistle management with herbicide

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 05:37:14 pm »

For what it is worth.

I have used Grazon on my place, in an epic battle against docks.  Spot spraying with Stihl battery powered backpack.

Unbelievably I have won, after 2 years.  Many thousands of them dealt with.

Grazon is highly effective.  It also works on thistles and nettles

It will also too expensive

Last week I finished my 5L of Grazon and have now bought 5L of depitox.

If you mow the thistles strategically, especially before flowering, they will eventually give up.  Basically get the plants to expensive asucj energy as possible, then chop and drop as green mulch before going through seed