What is the VAT capital goods scheme?
Answered 11 March 2026
Here is a comprehensive explanation of the VAT Capital Goods Scheme (CGS):
What the law says
The legal basis for the Capital Goods Scheme is Part XV of the VAT Regulations, SI 1995/2518, regulations 112 to 116. These regulations set out what items are included, how they are valued, when they come within the scheme, what intervals will apply to them, and how taxable use in those intervals will be established.
HMRC guidance / practice
Purpose of the scheme
The law recognises that certain items of capital expenditure are capable of being used by a taxable person over a period of years, and that there can be variations over those years in the extent to which such goods are used in making taxable supplies.
The CGS provides a mechanism for adjustments to be made to the initial amount of input tax recovered to reflect these variations over a period of up to 10 years. If you use a capital item to make VAT exempt supplies, or for non-business purposes, the VAT incurred on the cost of the item may be subject to these adjustments.
What items are covered?
The CGS applies to the following capital items (assets held for resale are excluded):
| Asset Type | Minimum VAT-exclusive value |
|---|---|
| Computers and computer equipment | £50,000 or more |
| Land, buildings, civil engineering works and refurbishments | £250,000 or more |
| Ships, boats, other vessels and aircraft (from 1 January 2011) | £50,000 or more |
Only the values of taxable supplies other than zero-rated supplies are taken into account when determining whether a CGS item is created.
How the adjustment mechanism works
- For land and buildings, the period of adjustment is normally 10 years.
- For ships, boats, vessels and aircraft, the adjustment period is 5 years.
- You must review the use of the capital item over a series of intervals (normally lasting one year, aligned to your VAT tax year) and make input tax adjustments if there are changes in the extent to which the item is used for making taxable supplies.
- From 1 January 2011, CGS adjustments are also required to reflect changes in levels of non-business use (including private use) of the asset over the adjustment period.
- From 1 January 2011, all of the value and all of the VAT incurred on a capital item forming part of the assets of a business is included within the adjustment mechanism (previously limited to business values only), unless a business elects to permanently exclude the non-business/private part.
Key exclusions and special situations
- The scheme does not apply where property has been bought purely for the purpose of selling it on.
- A capital item generally comes within the scheme when it is either bought or first used.
- Businesses on the Flat Rate Scheme must leave it and notify HMRC immediately if they intend or expect to buy CGS assets.
- In a VAT group, any CGS item owned by a group member is treated as owned by the representative member, and adjustment intervals can change upon joining or leaving a group.
For full details, HMRC directs businesses to Capital Goods Scheme (VAT Notice 706/2).
Citation sources
The anti-avoidance measure only applies to land and buildings that are, or are intended to become, capital items for the purpose of the Capital Goods Scheme, either in the hands of the grantor or a person to whom the property is to be transferred. Generally, a capital item comes within the scheme when it is either bought, or first used. The Capital Goods Scheme will normally apply if you incur VAT on the purchase of the property, or on capital works, where VAT bearing costs, net of VAT, are £250
If you acquire land or buildings which are considered to be capital items for the purposes of this scheme, you must review their use in your business over a series of intervals, normally lasting 10 years. If there are changes in the extent to which they are used for making taxable supplies you must make input tax adjustments to take account of this. The Capital Goods Scheme will normally apply if you incur VAT on the purchase of the property, or on capital works, where VAT bearing costs, net of
as incurred, referred to as non-business VAT, falls outside of the VAT system. It is never revisited even if business use subsequently increases. Please be aware that: The Capital Goods Scheme applies to all purchases of land, buildings and civil engineering work and capital expenditure in relation to the same including construction, refurbishment, fitting out, alteration and extension, where the value is more than £250,000; From 1 January 2011 the Capital Goods Scheme also applies to ships, boa
If you use a capital item to make VAT exempt supplies, or for non-business purposes, the VAT incurred on the cost of the item may be subject to adjustments under the Capital Goods Scheme. Capital items include: computers and items of computer equipment with a VAT exclusive cost of £50,000 or more land, buildings, civil engineering works and refurbishments with a VAT exclusive cost of £250,000 or more alterations, extensions and annexes to buildings and engineering works with a VAT exclusive cost
The law recognises that certain items of capital expenditure are capable of being used by a taxable person over a period of years and that there can be variations over those years in the extent to which such goods are used in making taxable supplies. The Capital Goods Scheme provides a mechanism for adjustments to be made to the initial amount of input tax recovered to reflect these variations over a period of up to 10 years. In broad terms the Capital Goods Scheme applies to: computers and item
If you intend, or expect, to buy such goods you must leave the Flat Rate Scheme and write and tell HMRC immediately. The Capital Goods Scheme applies to: computers and items of computer equipment with a VAT exclusive value of £50,000 or more land and buildings, civil engineering works and refurbishments of a VAT-exclusive value of £250,000 or more For more information, read the Capital Goods Scheme (VAT Notice 706/2).
The legal basis for the Capital Goods Scheme is Part XV of the VAT Regulations, SI 1995/2518, regulations 112 to 116. These set out what items are included, how they are valued, when they come within the scheme, what intervals will apply to them and how taxable use in those intervals will be established.
If you acquire or own computer equipment or interests in land and buildings over a certain value, this will be subject to the Capital Goods Scheme provisions. The purpose of the scheme is to provide for adjustments to the input tax incurred (over a fixed period) to reflect the extent to which the item is used for taxable purposes. Whilst any Capital Goods Scheme item is owned by a member of the VAT group, the capital item is considered to be owned by the representative member of the VAT group. N