Epic - UBP - VAT?

I will be on the Epic in a little over a week.

We have the UBP.

Will I have to pay VAT on drinks?

Thanks

Lois

Spanish VAT is payable on the Epic cruise from Barcelona, as there are no non-EU stops.

However if you paid for the UBP, then VAT should have been included in the price you paid.

If you received the UBP as a promo as part of the cruise fare, then there should be no additional charge (10% of $0 = $0).

However there are rumours that NCL doesn't know how VAT works, and is incorrectly charging people based on the theoretical menu price.

I will be interested in whether you are charged, as I will be travelling on Epic in a couple of weeks (with the UBP).

Just got off the Epic from Barcelona. We had the UBP and in the beginning were charged the 10% VAT based on the theoritical prices. But after a day or two these small amounts were refunded to our accounts. So in the end we didn't pay it. Same for the UDP by the way.

Just got off the Epic from Barcelona. We had the UBP and in the beginning were charged the 10% VAT based on the theoritical prices. But after a day or two these small amounts were refunded to our accounts. So in the end we didn't pay it. Same for the UDP by the way.

Helpful to know. It sounds like NCL's POS system is unable to cope, so manual adjustments are being made.

I'm glad that's been sorted: we have had "all inclusive" packages on land based holidays in Spain and the VAT is always charged (and included in the price) on the cost of the overall package, not charged on the individual items consumed.

Helpful to know. It sounds like NCL's POS system is unable to cope, so manual adjustments are being made.

Confirming Loungerz experience here. :)

I left the EPIC yesterday after the 3-night- tour thru Palma and Marseille. As part of the promo I had the UBP and 75 US$ OBC.

To get rid of the 75 we drank fresh orange juice twice during breakfast. Net price is 3.75. First morning it was a hand written receipt and only the juice and the gratuity appeared on my account. 2nd morning they added VAT on a computer written receipt and in the account. During the day the 10% disappeared.

On UBP drinks was no VAT on the receipt until this orange morning. From this time the receipts stated VAT but it never appeared in the account.

It seemed to me like some trouble with the computers. Let's observe how things will go on.

We just got off 3 nighter from Barcelona too and same here........easy expecting to have to pay VAT after reading some threads before leaving, but nothing ever appeared on our account! We did notice that the VAT element from the tills very quickly disappeared from the receipts!

Will be watching the boards as currently debating the purchase of UBP for our August med cruise- pre sailing of course!

We just got off 3 nighter from Barcelona too and same here........easy expecting to have to pay VAT after reading some threads before leaving, but nothing ever appeared on our account! We did notice that the VAT element from the tills very quickly disappeared from the receipts!

 

Will be watching the boards as currently debating the purchase of UBP for our August med cruise- pre sailing of course!

there is (was) some confusion over this and NCL are not charging VAT at present. We too were on the three day and noticed little consistency. No VAT was charged but wait and see.

I think there may be more to this than meets the eye as the spanish authorities are noy going to like the possibility of VAT leakage by simply preselling drinks!

I may be wrong of course but given the amounts involved I wonder if NCL could finally confirm that the tax treatment has been approved

I left the EPIC yesterday after the 3-night- tour thru Palma and Marseille. As part of the promo I had the UBP and 75 US$ OBC.

 

To get rid of the 75 we drank fresh orange juice twice during breakfast. Net price is 3.75. First morning it was a hand written receipt and only the juice and the gratuity appeared on my account. 2nd morning they added VAT on a computer written receipt and in the account. During the day the 10% disappeared.

 

On UBP drinks was no VAT on the receipt until this orange morning. From this time the receipts stated VAT but it never appeared in the account.

 

It seemed to me like some trouble with the computers. Let's observe how things will go on.

If you just buy the oranges from NCL and squeeze them yourself, there is no VAT to pay!!!

If you just buy the oranges from NCL and squeeze them yourself, there is no VAT to pay!!!

Why should I buy oranges??? Food is included in the fare ;-)

They told us that as we had the ubp that everything was covered so there would be no vat / tax charges

We did get one one the first day when they did it by handwritten receipt but after a query, they removed it from the bill telling us that ubp has it already covered

Why should I buy oranges??? Food is included in the fare ;-)

It was a tax joke.

In some EU countries, such as the UK, you would not be charged VAT if you bought oranges, but would be if you bought orange juice squeezed from the same oranges.

Do all the VAT wonks here agree that if the UBP is bought on board an EPIC Med cruise, 10% VAT is payable on the UBP purchase price?

And depending on where the passenger boards and buys the UBP, NCL need to remit the VAT to either Spain or Italy? Has anyone ever seen NCL's Italian and Spanish VAT registration numbers? And/or got a VAT receipt? Or seen VAT inclusive prices on a menu as required by EU law?

Do all the VAT wonks here agree that if the UBP is bought on board an EPIC Med cruise, 10% VAT is payable on the UBP purchase price?

 

And depending on where the passenger boards and buys the UBP, NCL need to remit the VAT to either Spain or Italy? Has anyone ever seen NCL's Italian and Spanish VAT registration numbers? And/or got a VAT receipt? Or seen VAT inclusive prices on a menu as required by EU law?

Fill yer boots!:confused::eek:

https://www.gov.uk/vat-how-to-work-out-your-place-of-supply-of-services

I haven't a clue (or the time or inclination to research it)

Just got off the Epic from Barcelona. We had the UBP and in the beginning were charged the 10% VAT based on the theoritical prices. But after a day or two these small amounts were refunded to our accounts. So in the end we didn't pay it. Same for the UDP by the way.

We are on the same cruise and received the UBP and UDP as a promo... We should not pay VAT on either correct?

We are on the same cruise and received the UBP and UDP as a promo... We should not pay VAT on either correct?

You are unlikely to based on others previous. However whether NCL should be charging you VAT......that probably needs a Spanish Tax accountant to answer.

Just checking back for an update.

We did 3 nighter in April on epic with free UBP - no vat was charged! We couldn't work out if this was a glitch or not (??!) so interested to hear from those who have sailed epic recently with both free and paid for UBP and what situation is with VAT?

back from the EPIC may 27th out of Rome with UBP and not a single cent charged.. everything is included and we made good use of it for sure ....

best drink for me is the Acai Caipirinha at Moderno .....try it ....

I'll second that, 2 of us had free UBP 2 paid for it not VAT on any.

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What about VAT on

a) UBP bought beforehand and

b) UBP bought on board

Anyone?

A.... No vat.

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We've found if booked in advance or free there are no vat charges

Froggit

There is no requirement for NCL to issue a VAT receipt to passengers. VAT invoices/receipts are only required to be issued to VAT registered customers (the document is required for VAT registered traders to recover their Input tax).

Froggit

 

There is no requirement for NCL to issue a VAT receipt to passengers. VAT invoices/receipts are only required to be issued to VAT registered customers (the document is required for VAT registered traders to recover their Input tax).

Sure. However, in the UK

If you are a retailer, you do not need to issue a VAT invoice or receipt unless asked to do so by the buyer