The simple answer is no. Some company formation agents may try to mislead you that a shelf company has a VAT number. They may claim that they can fast track your VAT application with HM Revenue and Customs. Some will even claim that you can use their ‘online VAT registration’ to speed the process up. This is not true.

To register for VAT a company has to have a bank account and prove that the company has traded. Details of the company owners need to be supplied to HMRC. Shelf companies are clean dormant companies that have never traded. They cannot have a bank account. They have never traded.

You cannot make Customs and Excise go faster. No formation agent has a special arrangement with the government. There is no fast track. Yes you can register online for VAT. Go to www.hmrc.gov.uk and register for VAT online yourself. It’s FREE so why pay a company simply to go through their software that fills in the same information and transfers it to HMRC?

Do not be misled that a dormant, clean company has a VAT number as you will probably just be provided with the application forms. If in doubt ask them to fax or email you a copy of the VAT number and ask how they got it if the company is clean with no trading history. Unfortunately there is no magic solution.

You simply need to register for VAT after purchasing your company.