VAT registration becomes mandatory once your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in a rolling 12-month period. You can also register voluntarily below that threshold if it suits your business (for example, if most of your clients are VAT-registered businesses who can reclaim the VAT you charge).
This is most relevant for commercial/contract cleaners scaling up a team, and less of an immediate concern for most solo domestic cleaners in year one — but it's worth tracking your rolling turnover from early on. One of the most common mistakes small cleaning businesses make is not monitoring this threshold as they scale, leading to a late or backdated registration scramble, which can mean an unexpected VAT bill and HMRC penalties.
Our Business Launch Kit includes a VAT Threshold Tracker calculator that projects, based on your recent trend, roughly when you might cross the threshold — so it never catches you by surprise.
General business guidance, not legal, financial or professional advice. Requirements change — check the official source or a qualified professional before relying on it.
Next step
VAT Threshold Tracker
Track your rolling turnover against the VAT registration threshold.
Open the calculatorOfficial sources
- GOV.UK — Set up as a sole trader: step by stepLegal source
- GOV.UK — Set up a business (overview, business structures)Government guidance
- GOV.UK — Business legal structuresLegal source
- GOV.UK — Register for Self AssessmentLegal source
- GOV.UK — VAT registration thresholdsLegal source
- HSE — Cleaning: guidanceGovernment guidance
Home Help Hub Business is not a government or regulatory body. Labels describe the type of source we used; always check the latest version on the source's own site.