VAT on Your Till: A Guide for Irish Hospitality Businesses

Getting VAT right at the till saves hours at the end of every VAT period. This guide covers how to set up your EPOS so every sale is recorded at the correct rate.

This article is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm current rates on revenue.ie and with your accountant.

Assign a VAT rate to every product

In Irish hospitality, food, alcohol and soft drinks can be taxed at different rates. Your EPOS should hold the rate at product level, not just at category level, so mixed baskets are split correctly.

Handle eat-in and takeaway

Some items are taxed differently depending on whether they are consumed on the premises. A good EPOS lets you switch order type and applies the matching rate automatically.

Plan for rate changes

Irish Budgets can change hospitality VAT rates. With a cloud EPOS like Tilly, you set the new rate and its effective date once, and it applies across every till.

Check your Z-report

Your end-of-day report should show net sales and VAT by rate, plus refunds, discounts and payment types. That’s the data your accountant needs for the VAT3.

See how Tilly handles VAT reporting →