Bolt Loses VAT Appeal, Must Charge Full UK Tax on Ride Fares

• The UK Court of Appeal ruled on 12 June 2026 that Bolt cannot use the Tour Operators Margin Scheme (TOMS) to reduce VAT.
• Bolt must charge the full 20% UK VAT on the entire ride fare, not just on its margin.
• The court found Bolt’s app-based ride-sharing service is not comparable to services provided by travel agents.
• The decision turns on Bolt’s role with self-employed drivers: Bolt was not treated as the principal for VAT purposes.

Source: vatcalc.com

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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