I understand that on pre-startup costs you can reclaim VAT on certain things but is there a definitive list anywhere on what these things are. I read on the HMRC website you can reclaim on legal costs for example but then we have been told by an accountant by chance, that we can't reclaim VAT on writing the shareholders agreement when setting up the limited company. How can you know for sure what you can and cannot reclaim because I may have assumed that setting up the agreement would come under legal costs which would have led to an incorrect claim. Thanks for your help.
As far as i am aware there isnt a definitive list from HMRC.
Good reference would be something like Tolleys.
You have to go back to the good old term, the item must be "wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the business".
This is where the costs of the shareholders agreement fail as the purpose of the agreement is to set out the terms for the shareholders to protect their position and has nothing to do with the running of the business.
