Do I need to register for VAT?

Almost certainly not. VAT registration is compulsory above £90,000 of taxable turnover in a rolling 12 months.

By JoltMilePublished 19/08/2026

Last checked 12/09/2026.

You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period. That is turnover, not profit.

Very few delivery drivers get near it. A full-time driver taking £30,000 a year is a third of the way there. It becomes relevant if you run several vans or subcontract to other drivers, where the turnover is the whole operation's rather than one person's.

You can register voluntarily below the threshold, but for a driver whose main costs are fuel and a vehicle it rarely helps and it adds quarterly returns. Take advice before doing it. VAT registration (opens in a new tab).

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