Net VAT payable or refundable (box 14)

What box 14 is

Box 14 is the bottom line of the VAT Form 201: the single figure that says whether you pay the FTA or the FTA pays you for the period.

1. Log in to your workspace.
2. In the left menu, under Finance, click Your Accounts.
3. In the accounts menu, under Tax, click VAT.
4. In the VAT Return, Form 201 panel, look at the last row, box 14.

How it is worked out

Box 14 is a simple subtraction of two figures already on the return:

• Box 12, Total due tax is the VAT you charged on sales (the same figure as box 8).
• Box 13, Total recoverable tax is the VAT you can reclaim on purchases (the same figure as box 11).

Box 14 is box 12 minus box 13. In plain terms: the VAT you collected from clients, less the VAT you paid to suppliers and can claim back.

For example, if you charged AED 5,000 of output VAT and can reclaim AED 1,200 of input VAT, box 14 is AED 3,800 payable.

The colour tells you which way it goes

The box 14 amount is always shown as a positive number, and the label and colour tell you the direction:

• Amber, "Net VAT payable to the FTA". Box 12 was larger than box 13. You charged more VAT than you can reclaim, so you owe the difference.
• Green, "Net VAT refundable by the FTA". Box 13 was larger than box 12. You reclaimed more than you charged, so the FTA owes you.

A refund position is common in a quiet quarter, or when you have had large reclaimable purchases and low sales.

Change the period

Box 14 always reflects the period in the filter bar at the top of the page. Switch between a month, a quarter, a year or a custom range and the whole return, box 14 included, recalculates for that period.

Related: What each box on the VAT Form 201 means and Reclaim input VAT from expenses and bills.