- Tanuvi Ethunandan ACA founded Data Duopoly to improve visitor flow at tourist sites
- The company launched in October 2019 and collaborated with notable organizations like the National Trust
- Ethunandan left the corporate sector to tackle problems through entrepreneurship
- VAT registration allowed Data Duopoly to reclaim VAT on essential purchases like laptops
- Selling to VAT-exempt entities like small charities posed pricing challenges due to the need to add VAT to costs
- Data Duopoly adjusted prices to absorb VAT costs themselves, making their services more competitive
- The company received a significant grant from Innovate UK but faced restrictions on using funds for VAT expenses
- Ethunandan managed VAT returns herself initially, which was time-consuming but manageable due to her accountancy background
- Time spent on VAT issues could have been used to enhance and market her product
Source: icaew.com
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
