Uber faces massive UK tax bill, after Bolt loses VAT appeal

HMRC won a landmark Court of Appeal case against ride-hailing firm Bolt on Friday.

The court ruled Bolt must apply a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) to its profit margin on rides. This decision overturns two previous lower tribunal rulings that favored the company.

The judgment carries significant consequences for Uber, which paused a similar tax dispute pending this outcome. Uber now faces a likely defeat in its own case against HMRC.

A loss could force Uber to pay substantial back taxes. The company would also need to restructure its VAT treatment for all future UK operations.