High Court Claim served for Uber to pay VAT

Edwin Coe LLP, the firm that acted in the Article 50 Brexit challenge litigation for Dos Santos, has today served proceedings on behalf of its client, barrister Jolyon Maugham QC, on Uber London Limited through its solicitors Herbert Smith Freehills in relation to the provision by Uber of VAT receipts for journeys taken under the service provided by Uber to the public.

David Greene, Edwin Coe Senior partner and Head of Litigation, said:

“We have today served a claim form on Uber London Limited on behalf of our client Jolyon Maugham QC seeking from Uber a VAT receipt for a journey taken by Mr Maugham for business purposes.  Uber has refused to provide a receipt because they say that it does not provide a service to the public but merely facilitates a contract between the driver and the passenger through its App. The Employment Tribunal has recently found that it is, however Uber that provides services to the public and the driver’s position is that of a worker. The claim asserts that this being the case, Uber is obliged to register for VAT and to provide a VAT receipt.

We have also issued an application for costs protection for the Claimant. This is a case of public importance and in running the claim Mr Maugham is, in our view, entitled to protection from the potential massive costs Uber will lavish on their lawyers and that may silence the issues raised in this claim.  This is an important issue that should be tried and not buried under potential costs liabilities. We will of course invite Uber to agree on that proposal. That will be the first issue for the Court and why the issue of the application follows after the issue of the proceedings.

Edwin Coe is pleased to join with Mr Maugham and the Good Law Project on this crowd funded claim.”

The crowdfunding page is here.

The Good Law Project web page is here.