Hilton Self-Billing Agreement for UK Travel Agencies
In 2008, Hilton introduced a new service to its Centralised Commission Processing (CCP) programme, which includes VAT Invoice Self-Billing functionality for the UK Travel Agency community to improve the payment process of individual / transient commissions from UK hotels to UK agencies (this excludes UK commissions on conference and group bookings).
The Self-Billing functionality allows Hilton to create a VAT invoice to its own UK hotels, including VAT on commissions, on behalf of UK Travel Agencies for automatic payment of UK commissions. These commissions, along with non-UK commissions, are processed centrally through the CCP programme and paid via NTTData – TACS (Travel Agency Commission Settlement) in one consolidated payment from all Hilton Family hotels.
The benefits of our CCP Programme and Self-Billing Programme for the payment of UK commissions are:
Large efficiency gain with regards to invoicing and billing accuracy; agents who sign a Self-Billing Agreement will not need to invoice individual Hilton UK hotels for commissions as the signature date of the agreement
Automatic commission processing for ALL individual commissions upon check-out and payments made on a weekly basis, therefore improving cash flow
Consolidation of payments from all Hilton Family hotels, with one statement for all commission payments and one invoice for all UK commission payments
Online tracking of all commission status and payment details, plus online reporting for all individual bookings within the Hilton Family hotels
In summary, this service offers: VAT invoice creation based on check-out records, one payment, one statement and one point of contact for your UK individual commissions.
In order to benefit from this service, UK Travel Agencies need to complete a Self-Billing Agreement (SBA) online via NTTData - TACS at https://ce.tacsnet.com/ This is a 12-month agreement running from January 1 to December 31 of each calendar year, renewable annually online. Without a Self-Billing Agreement, agents will need to provide a VAT invoice to individual Hilton UK hotels to be paid their UK commissions via TACS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I have to sign Self-Billing Agreement ("SBA")?
No, agents may choose to not sign an SBA, in which case you must continue to invoice the hotels directly to be paid your commissions via TACS.
What if I don't sign an SBA?
Your UK commissions will not be automatically paid to you. To be paid your UK commissions, you will need to continue to send VAT invoices directly to UK hotels. UK commissions will be processed centrally via TACS, December 2022 © 2022 Hilton Worldwide p. 2 of 2 alongside commissions from international hotels, but your UK commissions will not be released until Hilton UK hotels receives your VAT invoice.
How long is the term of the SBA?
The SBA is valid for the whole calendar year, or for the remainder of it through the end of the calendar year, if it is signed after January 1st.
What if I don't sign an SBA until after January 1st?
All UK commissions due for checkouts up to the date of signature of the agreement will remain on hold in TACS until the hotels receive your VAT invoice; all commissions due after that date will be automatically paid.
How do I sign up for Self-Billing?
Visit https://ce.tacsnet.com/ to register online via NTTData - TACS. A TACS user ID is required, if you do not have one or need your password reset, contact TACS at Tacsnet@nttdata.com
How do I renew the SBA?
Hilton will contact the registered UK Travel Agencies in the fourth quarter of each calendar year to invite them to renew their Self-Billing Agreement for the following year. Registration is online via NTTData - TACS.
How do I cancel the SBA?
Agents may cancel the agreement at any time by advising Hilton at international.commissions@hilton.com At such time, Hilton will cease to automatically pay the Travel Agency's UK commissions, and the agency will need to resume invoicing the Hilton UK hotels to receive payment via TACS.
What is the tax point of the self-billing invoice?
The tax point of the self-billing invoice is the invoice date, in line with HMRC guidelines. The following statement is featured at the bottom of each self-billing invoice: “Tax Point is the Date of Invoice”.
What if my agency is not VAT registered?
Travel Agencies not VAT-registered must continue to invoice UK hotels for commissions net of VAT, as currently done. Such agencies may not sign up for self-billing agreements, as these require a VAT registration number.
Does Self-Billing apply to the Republic of Ireland?
UK Self-Billing only applies to commissions between UK hotels and UK Travel Agencies. Agencies in the Republic of Ireland will continue to be paid as normal, without the need for VAT Invoices.
What if I have further questions?
Please direct any questions to international.commissions@hilton.com or to your Hilton Sales representative